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SPRING 2008

L A S E L L

c o

Where the Classroom
Is The Real World

n this issue

Message from the President

Inauguration

Connected Learning

Class Notes'

Campus Update

Alumni Relations

Annual Fund

Major Gifts

Sports

Commencement Speaker
Retailing and Merchandising Expert
Trudy F. Sullivan, President and CEO
of The Talbots, Inc.

Trudy F. Sullivan,
who became
President and Chief
Executive Officer of
The Talbots, Inc. on
August 5, 2007, w^ill
be the commencement
speaker and an
honorary degree
recipient at Lasell College's T54th graduation
ceremonies Sunday, May 18, 2008. Ms. Sullivan
oversees all aspects of business for The
Talbots, including strategic direction and
initiatives for The Talbots and 1. lill brands.

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Michael B. Alexander is Installed as
Ninth President of Lasell College

IVlichael B. Alexander was installed as
the ninth President of Lasell College on
Friday, April 4, 2008. The installation
ceremony was part of a celebratory
three-day series of events designed
around the theme "Embracing
Diversity." In addition to honoring
Lasell s new president and affording
him an opportunity to share his
vision for the College, the inauguration
also gave the entire Lasell College
community the chance to celebrate
the institution's unique history,
reaffirm its mission, and showcase
its accomplishments as a leader in
innovative education since 1851.

In his inauguration speech. President
Alexander invoked the memory of
Dr. Martin Luther BCing, on the 40th
anniversary of his assassination.
He talked about the need to face a
daunting and uncertain future without
fear saying, "Lasell's challenge today
is to build upon the foundation created
by the stewards of the past, to raise
the College's prominence to a level
commensurate with its recent
achievements and those about to
come. Through the power of education,
we can do our part to make the world
right for our children." To view the
speech in its entirety, go to
www.lasell.edu/inauguration.asp '«

President Alexander waves after the
installation ceremony.

Inauguration higinlights on page 3

Faculty Chair in the Arts Established

Lasell Receives $1 Million from
Diane Heath Beever '49 Trust

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Diane Heath Beever '4<)

Through the
generosity of the
Diane Heath
Beever '49 Trust,
Lasell is
establishing a
new faculty chair
in the arts. The

College is deeply grateful for the gift of

$1 million which will allow Lasell to
expand and promote the development
of the arts both within and beyond
the curriculum.

Diane Beever was one of 13 members
of the Heath family to attend Lasell.
She had a special love for the College
and a passion for the arts. The gift.

established in her memory, will
enhance the fine and visual arts
offerings at Lasell.

"What a wonderful way to remember
Diane and to keep her legacy alive on
campus," said Dean for Institutional
Advancement Ruth Shuman.

New Student
Residences to
be Built

Construction on two new Woodland
Road residence halls will begin in June
and students are scheduled to move in
by September 2009. The interior
design of the buildings will be similar
to Rockwell Hall, which opened last
fall. Together the new buildings will
house 132 students with parking
facilities located underground. The
new complex will be outfitted with
wireless capabilities. «

The new Woodland Road residences will be situated in front of Van Winkle and McClelland
Halls, creating a courtyard. Pathways will lead from building to building, enhancing the
sense of community.

Message from the President

Michael B. Alexander.

Dear Members of the Lasell Family,

These are exciting times at Lasell. In
November, the Board of Trustees
approved a Strategic Plan, developed by
representatives from every branch of the
Lasell family tree, that articiilates a
vision for the future of Lasell over the
next five years. The plan focuses on
what will be new and different at Lasell

by the fall of the year 2012. 1 don't
want to discuss the plan in detail
here because it is covered in an article
elsewhere in this issue of Leaves
(see p. 21). I do want to discuss what
is new and different — new programs,
new people, and new things.

As the College continues to grow, the
faculty must grow with it. We have in
progress 14 faculty searches for next
year, 13 of which are for new positions.
One of these faculty members will be
part of our new major in Environmental
Studies. Several of these hires are in
anticipation of new graduate programs
that will come into being over the next
, four years. To achieve our goal of two-
thirds of all courses being taught by
full-time faculty, we believe we need to
create 40-50 additional positions over
the next five years. We had a boost in
reaching this goal when we received a
$1 million endowment gift funding the
Diane Heath Beever '49 Professorship
in the Arts.

At the January Board meeting, the
Trustees approved the construction of
two new residence halls on Woodland

Road between Forest and Studio Roads.
The placement of these new buildings
will form a courtyard with McClelland
and Van Winkle Halls that will create a
beautiful and useable public space on
campus and make the existing
buildings more attractive. The new
residence halls will be ready for
occupancy for the fall semester 2009.

^ I

We have started design and approval
work on the renovation of two older
buildings — a house and a barn —
adjacent to the Yamawaki Art and
Cultural Center that will provide new
studio space for fashion, art and music
courses, a couple of additional
classrooms, display and storage space,
particularly for our fashion collection,
and facility offices. This exciting project
will also help to complete the definition
of the Campus Center Quad on the
west side of campus. The timing of
construction for this project is
dependent on receiving required
approvals from the City of Newton.

Other things new include the baseball
team, a cheerleading squad, a track and
field club, a new service learning

program in Nicaragua, expanded hours
in the library and food service, and,
yes, the President.

The Inauguration was an exciting
weekend for me and for the College,
with cultural performances on the
evening of April 3, academic colloquia
and the investiture on April 4, and
the culminating Inaugural Scholarship
Gala on the evening of April 5. I was
pleased to have so many come and
celebrate and help raise money to
support scholarships for students
with financial need.

Best wishes to you and your families.

Sincerely,

Michael B. Alexander
President

New Trustees, Overseers, and Corporators Elected

Lasell College is Pleased to Announce the Election of
New Board Members

Board of Trustees

Richard K.
Blankstein is a
founding partner
of the Boston
law firm of
Postemak
Blankstein &
Lund, LLP.
He has lectured on legal topics
relating to real estate development,
environmental law, commercial
leasing, software licensing,
transitioning ownership in family-
owned and closely held businesses,
and multi-jurisdictional practice.

Mr. Blankstein is a Phi Beta Kappa
graduate of the University of
Wisconsin and graduated from
Harvard Law School cum laude. He
has had experience on a wide variety
of non-profit boards. He is currently a
member of the board of the National
Human Services Assembly and the
National Chamber of Commerce's
Space Enterprise Council. He is also a
member of the Governing Council of
the American Hospital Association
Section for Long-Term Care and
Rehabilitation and is Chairman of the
Board of New England Sinai Hospital.

Helena Bentz
Hartnett joined the
Lasell senior staff
in July 1989 and
later became Dean
for External
Affairs. During her
eight-year tenure,
she developed a fundraising
infrastructure at the College and was
instrumental in raising substantial
amounts for the institution. In 1998,
she was awarded the Lasell Medallion
to honor her accomplishments.

Ms. Hartnett left: Lasell to accept the
position of Director of Development for
the New Bedford Whaling Museum in
New Bedford, MA and was part of the
expansion and transformation of the
institution. In January 2006, she
became Director of Development and
External Relations at the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum, which is currently
raising money for its first major
expansion since opening its doors in
1903. Ms. Hartnett has served on Lasell's
Board of Overseers since 1999 and
became the Vice Chair of the Board in
June 2004.

Since the early
1990s, Eric M.
Turner has offered
his commitment,
counsel and
financial support
to Lasell. He has
served alternately as a trustee and an
overseer and, this November, he was
elected Chairman of the Board of
Trustees. In 2006, as chair of Lasell's
Presidential Search Committee, he lent
his insight and leadership abilities to
the selection process.

Mr. Turner is a management
consultant specializing in issues of
interest to general managers. He was a
Senior Vice President at State Stieet
Corporation and prior to that was
employed as Executive Director of the
Massachusetts State Lottery and
Deputy Treasurer of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
He is on the board of Scientific
Games Corporation.

Board of Overseers

Patti Beck Bishop

'97 has freely
given her time to
the College. Soon
afi:er graduation
she joined the
Alumni Board
of Management
where she was offered the Vice
Presidency in 2001 and the Presidency
in 2003. She served tirelessly in that
position until 2007. Under her
leadership, the Board was revitalized,
with new members recruited and
changes made to the by-laws. She is the
Supervisor of the Call Center at Want
Ad Pubhcations.

Carol C. Cacciamani '65 became
reconnected with Lasell because she
was impressed with the College's
dynamic growth and direction. She
joined the Board of Trustees in 1993
and in 1998 she became its chairman,
a position she held until 2002. During
her time of leadership Winslow Hall
was converted into a modern high-tech
center and the successful Lasell 150
Campaign was completed.

continued on page 3

2 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Inauguration

A Celebration of the Arts

The Academic Colloquium

On Thursday, April 3, the Yamawaki
Cultural Center was the site of a tribute
to Japanese culture and a performance
of the Japanese Tea Ceremony to honor
Lasell's long-standing relationship with
the Yamawaki Gakuen Junior College
in Tokyo. William Soei Thrasher, a
specialist in contemporary Japanese
art and craft and adjunct professor of
art at the Rhode Island School of
Design and the Art Institute of Boston,
guided visitors through the Japanese
Tea Ceremony.

Among other participating artists
were Elizabeth Mitsuye Horwitz
who exhibited her unique washi paper
creations and other artwork in the
Wedeman Art Gallery, flautist Orlando
Cela, music director of the Willow
Flute Ensemble, and the Yamawaki
Chamber Orchestra, who performed
with Ayaikano Cathleen Read who
played the koto, a traditional Japanese
stringed instrument. «

On Friday, April 4, presentations were
made by both faculty and students.
There were two "Student Voices" panels.
The first was facilitated by Psychology
Professor Marsha Mirkin and was titled
"The Immigrant Student Experience."
The second panel focused on race and
an individual's responsibility for
addressing racism and social inequality.

Students discussed two new College
initiatives. "Companeros de
Conversacion" is a community service-
learning project that pairs students with
LaseU's Spanish-speaking workers for
the purpose of building the workers'
English conversational skills.

At "Genocide: Darfur Awareness and
Action" four education students

discussed the challenges and satisfactions
of developing their own course on an
urgent international crisis. They
described their effort from its origins in
an Honors component to its culmination
in a campus-wide Darfur Day of Action.

There was also a program on
international perspectives that
highlighted several college programs.
Students who participated in the
College's annual January "Shoulder to
Shoulder" program in Mexico described
their experiences. Other students
discussed the "Microlending in Third
World Countries" project for which
they had selected and researched
entrepreneurs in third world countries. '«'

At the Japanese Tea Ceremony, President and Mrs. Alexander accept the tea from Professor
William Soei Thrasher.

Kathy Montrevil '08 addresses the audience at the Immigrant Experience "Student
Voices" panel.

New Board Members Elected

continued from page 2

Carol joined State Street Corporation
immediately after graduating from
Lasell and served the institution for 32
years. She held a variety of positions
including senior management
responsibilities in branch banking,
training and development, and
commercial lending. She retired as
Senior Vice President and Director of
Corporate Administration.

Joan Howe
Weber '51 has
long worked hard
on behalf of

Lasell. She
became an
overseer in 1996
and a trustee the
following year In 2001, she donned
many hats, serving as the vice chair of
the Board, co-chair of the Lasell 150
Campaign and was one of the class
agents for her 50th Reunion. Her
tireless energy and support of the

College was recognized that year when
she was presented with the Lasell
Medallion.

In August of 2001, Joan and 20
members of her family were present at
the dedication of the Winslow Academic
Center's Weber Computer Lab, a legacy
that has been used by countless faculty
members and students. In addition to
her Lasell volunteer work, she is a civic
leader in her community of Lexington,
KY where she is active on the Board of
the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation.

Corporators

Kathy Morgan
Lucey '67

discovered her
love of teaching in
high school and
applied to Lasell
because it offered
an excellent program in the field.
This was the beginning of her fond
attachment to the College and the
classes she took formed the basis of her
life's career. In September 1989, she
came to work at the Holway Child
Study Center at Rockwell and has been
there for 21 years. Kathy has served on
the Alumni Board of Management
since 1973 and has always been a
dedicated Lasell volunteer. In
recognition of all her contributions
to the College, she was presented with
the Lasell Medallion in 1992.

Ann J. Mignosa

'87 is an active
member of both
the Lasell College
and Village
communities. She
has served on the
Alumni Board of Management for 15
years and was a member of the
College's Strategic Planning Committee
in 2003-2004. She was also a member
of the Presidenfs Search Committee.
At the Village, she has been Vice-Chair
and Chair of the Advisory Council and
was Chair of the Finance Committee.

Ann has shared her expertise by
tutoring Accounting and Math at the
College's Learning Center as well as
teaching computer classes at the
Village and at the Newton Senior
Center. She herself is an avid student
who takes courses at both the College
and the Village and, in 2005, she
accompanied 10 Lasell students on the
service-learning trip to Mexico as the
official photographer *'

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 3

Inauguration

The Installation Ceremony

The Inaugural Scholarship Gala

On Friday, the installation ceremony
with its traditions and regalia was the
heart of the inaugural celebration.
There were 43 robed representatives
from local, regional and national
academic institutions, including
Brandeis, Harvard, Brown, and
Williams. The installation included,
for the first time in Lasell's history,
the introduction of tlie Lasell
ceremonial mace and presidential
chain of office and medallion. The
two were unveiled at the installation
ceremony and will be part of every
future Lasell academic celebration. W

Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim
Ostrow carries the mace.

The Gala was held at the Riverside
Center and in keeping with the theme
of "Embracing Diversity," the evening
featured dining on culinary delights
from different countries of the world.

The announcement was made that
thanks to the generous donations from
alumni, parents and friends of the
College, over $20,000 was raised for
Lasell's scholarship fund. '*'

(L to R) It was a family affair: daughter
Ma^e Alexander, mother Polly Alexander
and sister Lesley Gady.

The Alexanders enjoy themselves at
the Gala.

(L to R) Chairman of the Board of Trustees Eric Turner, President Alexander, Newton
Mayor David Cohen and Tufts University President Lawrence Bacow gather before the
Installation Ceremony.

President Alexander and Adelaide Van Winkle with the scholarship find check.

Adelaide Shaffer Van Winkle ']6/H'g6 places the medallion around President Alexander's
neck as Chairman Turner looks on.

Dancing to the music at the end of the evening.

Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Connected Learning

"Hats from the Heart"

Accessories Design Students Stitch to Keep Children Warm

It's been a snowy and cold winter but
thanks to the talent and efforts of
Fashion Professor Lynn Blake's
Accessories Design class the heads of
many homeless children have been kept
warm. The students all participated in a
community service project called "Hats
from the Heart" that examined the
social responsibility of their art while
helping those in need.

"In the fashion world a misguided
importance is placed on cultivating a
culturally acceptable appearance and the
reality of clothing as an item of basic
survival becomes watered down," says
Professor Blake. "This project aims to
move design focus from desire to
functionality — to focus on the need for
children to simply and deservedly keep
and stay warm."

Students were provided with warm
fleece and a pattern for a reversible
child's hat in sizes from infant to seven
years old. The results were not only
practical, they were fun, with rabbif s
ears, tails, and funny faces.

The finished hats were given to "Cradles
to Crayons," a non-profit organization
that provides basic essentials to low-
income and homeless children and
partners wdth social service agencies for
distribution. "The great thing about the
project was that our results were so
tangible," says Lisa Jesse '08. "A
horrifying statistic is that the average
age of a homeless person in the United
States is eight years old and it is so nice
to think that we were able to help in
some small way." «

(L to R) Fashion students Vivienne Lowe 'og, Lisa Jesse '08, Salvatore Gianni III '08, and
Christine Famell 'og critique the finished hats.

Contest for Inauguration Gown

Mary Barbara Alexander Picks Student Design for Gala

Theresa Lomhardi 'og's winning sketch.

The beautiful flowing lavender evening
dress that Mary Barbara Alexander wore
to her husband's Inauguration Gala was
created especially for her by Theresa
Lombard! '09 as a result of a unique
connected learning contest. "It occurred
to me that designing my dress would be
a wonderful opportunity for the Lasell
Fashion Design students to test their

creativity and for the winner to have
the experience of taking a dress from
concept to completion, with her piece
being seen by all at the Gala," says
Mary Barbara.

There was immediate excitement when
Mary Barbara approached Fashion
Professor Maritza Farrell with the idea.
"I knew it would be fiin and, more
importantly, it was a great chance for
the students to test their design abilities
while working within guidelines that
have been set by a client," says Professor
Farrell. "I talked with Fashion Professor
Joan Morris and we decided to open
the contest up to the juniors in her
Technical Pattern Drafting II class."

Mary Barbara met with the juniors and
explained what she was looking for in
the dress. "I told them what colors
worked for my skin tone, what designers
I like, that I was looking for a flowing
fabric, and it needed to be a dress that
I could dance in," she recalls. "Students
asked me questions and one wondered
if I wanted the design to be conservative
or glamorous. 'Glamorous,' I said, 'I'm
an actress!'"

Eleven students entered the contest
and Mary Barbara picked Theresa's
design. "My daughter said, 'This one
looks like you,"' when she saw it,"
recalls Mary Barbara. "It's Ralph
Lauren meets Valentino."

Mary Barbara has been sewing since
she was eleven and while in New York
she picked out the silk chiffon and silk
charmeuse fabric for the gown. "The
colors change when you layer them
differentiy," says Professor Farrell, who
worked with Theresa as she constructed
the dress. "We needed to see which
arrangement of the fabrics would
bring us closest to the color in
Theresa's sketch."

With Professor Farrell's guidance,
Theresa worked many hours making
the dress. "I had four pages of notes
on how to sew the dress," says
Theresa. "I couldn't believe it when
my gown was chosen and even
though the sketch is now a reality it
still hasn't really sunk in." Mary
Barbara will be modeling the dress in
the Spring Fashion Show and again
over Reunion Weekend, e

(L to R) Professor Maritza Farrell, Professor Joan Morris, Theresa Lomhardi 'og and Mary
Barbara Alexander discuss the best way to layer the gown's fabric.

Lasell Leaves Q

Connected Learning

"And Still We Rise"

Former Prisoners Bring Powerful Performance to Lasell

Students and faculty filled de Witt Hall
for a performance by former prisoners
that was sponsored by the Donahue
Institute and Criminal Justice Honors
students. The strains of Marvin Gaye's
"What's Going On?" quieted the hum of
conversation and audience members
were surprised when their neighbors
rose from their seats and went on stage.
This is the first lesson of "And Still We
Rise" — former prisoners look like
anybody else. Ninety-seven percent of
incarcerated men and women return to
the community and interact with an
imkno\\ing public every day. The
stereot>'pe must be wTong.

"And Still We Rise" is a collaboration
of theatre artists and social justice
advocates who work together wdth ex-
prisoners and their loved ones to bring
a powerful, articulate, personal voice of
prison experience to the public for the
purpose of healing, education,
empowerment, and social change.

It began at City Mission in Boston as a
therapeutic means of self-expression.

"It was a way to get former prisoners
to talk about themselves and get them
out of their shells," says Sociology
Professor Jenifer Drew, who was
instrumental in bringing the program
to Lasell. "Their stories are very
powerful and they started performing
pieces that discussed their growing up,
imprisonment, survival, and re-entry."

"Prison is not there to reform you,"
said an actor. "It warehouses you. You
have to refuse to lose and take yourself
out of the vicious revolving door cycle
that happens to many prisoners."

"You have to learn to love yourself"
explained another former prisoner.
"I was mentally incarcerated and I
found that when you get self-respect,
everyone will respect you. You can
grow if you choose to. When you have
a lot of time to talk to cockroaches and
ants you get to know yourself I had
to dig deep into my faith and be
determined never to say 'no.' I started
working in the law library and read 20

— 30 books a month. I worked out,
stayed healthy and thought healthy."

The troupe is used to performing in
places where the audience is involved in
the prison reform movement. Lasell was
a challenge for them because there was
a need to persuade. A "talk-back" was
held at the end of the performance and
students' questions prompted a lively
debate about the purposes of
incarceration and the need for
rehabilitative services in prison.

"Our job is to educate the audience,"
said an actor. "Once people come to an
understanding that rehabilitation makes
prisoners take responsibility for what
they've done, the hope is that the
audience's feeUngs will be ameliorated.
Talking at Lasell stiffened our spine and
I hope we opened doors because when
you change your heart it feels so good." '«

Poetry and Jazz Reverberate in de Witt

Nationally Known Artists Magdalena Gomez and
Fred Ho Perform

Poetry and music are brute

necessities, not luxuries," said poet,
playwright, and arts educator
Magdalena Gomez as she introduced
the spellbinding performance that was
about to follow. In a program titled
"Caliente!! Circle round the Sun:
Revolutions in Poetry and Jazz," she
and baritone saxophone player Fred Ho
filled de Witt Hall with the cadence of
word and music. The event was
sponsored by the Office of Student
Activities, the Donahue Institute
for Values and Pubic Life, and the
Honors Program.

(L to R) Fred Ho and Magdalena Gomez
deliver a powerful performance.

Ms. Gomez began her multidisciplinary
arts career as a performance poet and
cultural worker. Her early plays and
poems were performed in prisons,
hospitals, conferences, and multi-
denominational houses of worship.
She has used the arts as a means of
inspiring leadership and civic
engagement. Now living in
Springfield, MA , she has founded a
theater-education-social action
collaboration, Teatro Vida, which
embraces respect and the celebration
of diversity at its core.

Fred Ho is the leader and founder of the
Afro-Asian Jazz Ensemble and many of
his works fuse the melodies from the
indigenous and traditional musics of
these two cultures. He has won
prestigious recognition including from
the McKnight Foundation, the
Rockefeller Foundation, and the
National Endowment for the Arts.

The program began with Ms. Gomez
delivering a powerful reading of several
of her poems. Her words reverberated,
delivering a message that although at

times humorous, carried a cutting
political or social message. "Mine is a
journalistic poetry," she said. "My eyes
are always awake and when I see
something, I take a note."

Using the deep sounds of the baritone
sax, Fred Ho played three pieces that
told the stories of early Japanese,
Chinese, and Filipino immigrants. In
his journey as an Asian- American artist,
he has delved deeply into the history of
each of these populations. His study of
Japanese folk songs was the inspiration
for his first number. "Old fishing songs
became songs for the Japanese who
arrived in Hawaii to work on the sugar
plantations. They were sung exclusively
by women and the earthiness comes
from the hardship they endured,"
he explained.

At the conclusion of the program,
the two artists performed together with
Fred Ho improvising to the rhythms
of Ms. Gomez's poems. It was unique
and inspiring. *'

Support and Advocacy
for Prisoners

Marian Salama
'08 Interns at
Partakers

I he goal
of Partakers is
to assist in
the healing
transformation
of prisoners,"
explains Legal
Studies major Marian Salama '08
who did her fall internship at the
Auburndale, MA non-profit
organization and who is continuing
her work there this semester as a
directed study. "We train volunteers
to be mentors to support the
inmates who are in the Boston
University Prison Education
Program. A bachelor's degree
means so much to the prisoners
and being part of helping them
regain their self-respect is intense
and meaningful."

Partakers takes great care in pairing
up the volunteers and the prisoners.
"We read the files of both parties,"
explains Marian "and each inmate
has a team of four to six volunteers
from congregations throughout
Greater Boston that works with him
or her. We want to make as good a
fit as we can. The volunteers are the
inmate's contact with the outside
world and there needs to be a
feeling of trust."

During her internship Marian
assisted with the volunteers'
orientation. "We go over how to
dress and act and discuss situations
that might come up," she explains.
"After the initial meeting we have a
follow-up session to recap what
happened. Sometimes former
prisoners will come and give
suggestions for changes. From
listening to them, it is apparent
how much their education means.

"Incarcerated men and women are
often in prison because of poverty
and a lack of education. The outside
world can seem a long way off.
Through my work at Partakers I
feel I am part of a team that is
enabling them to complete their
education and is preparing them
to re-enter society." •"

10 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Connected Learning

Original Audience Interactive Theatre Work

Basic Acting Class Performs "The Facebook Chronicles"

The audience is asked to vote for either
(L to R) Jenny Viano 'ii, Kate Roberts 'lo
or Andy Roch 'oy.

The 1 6 students in Humanities
Professor Hortense Gerardo's Basic
Acting Class initially had no idea that
the pieces they were asked to write at
the beginning of the semester would
lead to a 75-minute original production
titled "The Facebook Chronicles." "I
asked them to create characters that
could be based on themselves or be
fictional and I think that they were
shocked to discover that by doing their
homework assignments they had
actually woven together a piece that
could be produced," Professor
Gerardo recalls.

The theme of the play was coming of
age in Boston with a story line of a day
in the life of all the characters. "I picked
the title 'Facebook Chronicles' because
it's in keeping with today's college life,"
explains Professor Gerardo. "It's young,
urban, and hip.

"I wanted the students to make their
characters memorable, to give them
weight, but I also asked them to write
their pieces with some distance," she
continues. "I didn't want diary entries.
I wanted them to be willing to say and
do what they had written."

"First we were asked to write
monologues, then select a classmate to
do a dialog with, and finally write tetra
logs," recalls Jenny Viano '11. "We had
to connect and bring in other actors'
characters. It became easier as we were
asked to keep writing and as we all got
to know each other"

Professor Gerardo was awarded a
Putnam grant to make the work
audience interactive. "I wanted to find a
way to do it without interrupting the
narrative," she explains. She enlisted
the help of Professor Richard Dodds,
and they incorporated the College's

to a new level," says Professor Gerardo.
"They enabled the audience to
determine the plot without getting in
the way of the performance. I wanted to
maintain the flow and I didn't want the
actors to be playing to the audience."

Three students from Professor Peter
Watson's Interior Design and Display
class created the set for the play, which
included a large screen for the back of
the stage where images and questions
to the audience could be displayed.
Depending on the audience feedback,
the play shifl:ed from one story to the
next. "Each night there was a variable,"

The opening scene of "The Facebook Chronicles. "

Classroom Performance System (CPS)
into the play. CPS uses a computer and
a projector enabling the audience to
answer questions by beaming their
clickers onto a receiver.

"By using the audience cHckers, we
were able to take interactivity on stage

^B'-,^^^^U^D ' ' '2K 9^ki_ ^^^^ ^r^

W^i^mL

^.ssji .^m

The entire "Facebook Chronicles" cast takes a minute before going on stage. (L to R) Kate
Roberts '10, Jenny Viano '11, Brianna McLellan '11, Sarah Carleton '11, AJ Fox '11, Brian
Whelan '08, Amanda Cook 'u, Andrew Deitch '11, Karissa Ranken '10, Ashley Medeiros
'11, Scott Janz '11, and Andy Roch 'oj.

explains Professor Gerardo. "Was the
audience up for melancholy or laughs?
It was exciting not knowing which way
the play would go."

The actors were asked to prepare final
monologues to give if their character
was selected by the audience as the one
whose performance they most enjoyed
that evening. "The Facebook Chronicles"
were performed twice and Jenny Viano
and Andy Roch '07 were chosen as the
"winners" respectively.

"I was shocked," recalls Jenny. "I knew
my character was funny, but I thought
others were much better. I certainly
wasn't prepared to give my final
monologue. I froze and couldn't
remember a thing. I was trembling
on stage.

"I think of myself as a shy person, but
doing this show made me much more
comfortable and confident. During
'The Facebook Chronicles' we bonded
as a group and everyone had a chance
to shine." «?■

MFA Curator

Lauren Whitley at Lasell

Collaborative
Fashion Exhibit
Presented

The Wedeman Art Gallery was the
site of an exhibit that profiled
evening and cocktail dresses from
Lasell's Museum Collection. The
display was the result of a
collaborative teaching effort.
Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Curator
Lauren Whitley, who is teaching 20th
Century Fashion at the College this
year, and her class worked closely
with both Fashion Professor Peter
Watson's Interior Design and
Display class and with Curator of
the Lasell Museum Collection and
Fashion Professor Jill Carey to create
the show.

"We are so fortunate to have Lauren
teaching at Lasell," says Professor
Carey. "The students have been able
to draw from her depth of
knowledge and professional
experience as Curator at the MFA."

Curator Whitley came to the College
because she was interested in
resuming teaching. "I missed having
contact with students and by
teaching 20th Century Fashion
History I have been able to share the
MFA's collection. When the students
see our garments their visual
vocabulary grows and they can draw
on the ideas they absorb for their
own designs."

For the Wedeman exhibit, the 20th
Century Fashion students used
garments from the Lasell Museum
Collection. Once they had selected
individual pieces they met with
Professor Carey to conduct research.
They then worked with Professor
Watson's display class who built
frames, wrote timelines and
added photos.

{L to R) MFA Curator Lauren
Whitley and Ashley Abentroth 'og
adjust a garment.

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 1 1

Connected Learning

Music, Visual, and Performance Arts Combine

Spiritus: An Interdisciplinary Event to Honor the Dead

El Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of
the Dead, invokes intriguing and
mystical feelings that are associated
with thoughts of departed souls. "It's a
day that has special significance in
many cultures and this fall we decided
to hold an interdisciplinary event that
would honor and celebrate the lives of
people who have died and whose
spirits continue to influence the
living," explains Graphic Design
Professor Stephen Fischer. "There are
many rituals associated with the Day
of the Dead and we drew on some of
them and created others of our own
for a program we called Spiritus,
meaning soul."

Five faculty members joined Professor
Fischer in planning the events of the
day and had their classes participate in
its creation. By including the ideas of
the different disciplines, the event

shrine or display area for the portraits
and masks. "Professor Fischer
explained his idea for the altar and
then left it to us," recalls Shannon
Oliver '08. "We had to work within a
budget and create a piece that fit the
event's mood. I think we bought up
every piece of black fabric in the area
to cover the shrine's stairs and we
designed the fire lighting at the top."

Students from Professor Hortense
Gerardo's Anthropology and Folklore
classes researched and wrote reflective
papers on their family rituals around
death. The group came from different
cultural heritages, including Italian,
Polish, Irish, and Portuguese and
shared their various traditions. Their
research was then used as the basis
for an original performance given by
her Basic Acting class. "It was an
improvisational ritual piece that was

ij portraits surrounded the altar in the center of the room.

became a colorful and respectful
celebration whose mood evolved from
reflective to upbeat, ending with a
New Orleans funereal jazz band.

The students in Professor Fischer's
Principles of Design and Color class
were asked to pick a person whose life
had affected theirs and make a portrait
honoring that individual. "I didn't
want them to pick someone they were
grieving for because I wanted to
emphasize the celebratory nature of
the day. I also asked them to think
about the person and his or her
heritage and make a border that
included graphic symbols that
represented that culture. We then took
these symbols and used them on
masks, so there was a visual link
between the masks and the portraits."

Professor Peter Watson's Interior
Design and Display Class created the

in keeping with the respectfully
commemorative nature of the
evening," she explains.

As people entered de Witt auditorium,
the sounds of drumming filled the
background and Lasell's Director
of Spiritual Life, Rev. Barbara
Asinger welcomed everyone.
Michael Belle, a professional soloist,
then sang two spirituals from the
African-American tradition.

The room was lit by luminaries that
had been created by Professor Margo
Lemieux's Drawing/ Graphic Design
class and projection and sound were
handled by Professor Tore Terrasi and
his students. Images were thrown on
the ceiHng and Professor Terrasi
himself created a special ghost effect
visible through a small opening in the
stage curtain using the reflections
from pieces of glass.

The colorful masks incorporate symbols
from the borders of the portraits.

At the end of the program Emperor
Norton's Stationary Marching Band
played. "They were amazing and,
coincidentally, the material of their
outfits matched our Central
American color scheme," recalls
Devon Reilly '08. "It was an
incredible evening. People were
crying, people were comforting, but
the music at the end made us leave
feeling upbeat." «

Fashion Students
Decorate Benefit
for Accelerated
Cure for MS

It was an evening of fun,
fashion and fabulous footwear at
Boston's Hampshire House,"
recalls Fashion Professor Anne
Vallely, "and a great deal of credit
for the festive air at the Clow and
Behold Ball must be given to the
original artwork and decorations
of 22 members of my Fashion
Promotion class."

Professor Vallely was approached
by the organizers of the evening to
see if she would lend her expertise
and she immediately thought of
enlisting her students. "It was an
opportunity for them to experience
directly the running of a major
event. The gala benefited
Accelerated Cure for MS, was
hosted by Boston's Chanel 5 and
Susan Wornick, and was attended
by major figures from the fashion
world," she says.

The Basic Acting class performed an
improvisational piece.

Student sketches were displayed at
the benefit.

The students set about creating
original sketches that reflected the
theme and color scheme of the
evening. They created butterflies
which floated above their fashion
illustrations and made drawings of
fantastic footwear On the actual
day of the event, the Lasell team
tackled every job that came their
way with competence and
enthusiasm and installed the
decorations on five floors of the
Hampshire House.

"The volunteers dealt with surprise
issues calmly and with common
sense," says shoe designer and
gala co-host Kristina Kozak. "They
handled everything that was
thrown at them professionally and
with great sense. They were all
incredibly wonderful and
tremendously helpful in making
the night run smoothly" ¥

12 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Connected Learning

"Hats from the Heart"

Accessories Design Students Stitch to Keep Children Warm

If s been a snowy and cold winter but
thanks to the talent and efforts of
Fashion Professor Lynn Blake's
Accessories Design class the heads of
many homeless children have been kept
warm. The students all participated in a
community service project called "Hats
from the Heart" that examined the
social responsibility of their art while
helping those in need.

■The finished hats were given to "Cradles
to Crayons," a non-profit organization
that provides basic essentials to low-
income and homeless children and
partners with social service agencies for
distribution. "The great thing about the
project was that our results were so
tangible," says Lisa Jesse '08. "A
horrifying statistic is that the average
age of a homeless person in the United
States is eight years old and it is so nice
to think that we were able to help in
some small way." W

(L to R) Fashion students Vivienne Lowe 'og, Lisa Jesse '08, Salvatore Gianni III '08, and
Christine Famell 'og critique the finished hats.

Contest for Inauguration Gown

Mary Barbara Alexander Picks Student Design for Gala

Theresa Lombardi 'og 's winning sketch.

I he beautiful flowing lavender evening
dress that Mary Barbara Alexander wore
to her husband's Inauguration Gala was
created especially for her by Theresa
Lombardi '09 as a result of a unique
connected learning contest. "It occurred
to me that designing my dress would be
a wonderful opportunity for the Lasell
Fashion Design students to test their

creativity and for the winner to have

the experience of taking a dress from
concept to completion, with her y' —

concept to completion, with her piece
being seen by all at the Gala," says
Mary Barbara.

There was immediate excitement when
Mary Barbara approached Fashion
Professor Maritza Farrell with the idea.
"I knew it would be fun and, more
importantly, it was a great chance for
the students to test their design abilities
while working within guidelines that
have been set by a client," says Professor
Farrell. "I talked with Fashion Professor
Joan Morris and we decided to open
the contest up to the juniors in her
Technical Pattern Drafting II class."

Mary Barbara has been sewing since
she was eleven and while in New York
she picked out the silk chiffon and silk
charmeuse fabric for the gown. "The
colors change when you layer them
differently," says Professor Farrell, who
worked with Theresa as she constructed
the dress. "We needed to see which
arrangement of the fabrics would
bring us closest to the color in
Theresa's sketch."

(L to R) Professor Maritza Farrell, Professor Joan Morris, Theresa Lombardi 'og and Mary
Barbara Alexander discuss the best way to layer the gown's fabric.

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves Q

Connected Learning

"And Still We Rise"

Former Prisoners Bring Powerful Performance to Lasell

Students and facixlty filled de Witt Hall
for a performance by former prisoners
that was sponsored by the Donahue
Institute and Criminal Justice Honors
students. The strains of Marvin Gaye's
"What's Going On?" quieted the hum of
conversation and audience members
were surprised when their neighbors
rose from their seats and went on stage.
This is the first lesson of "And Still We
Rise" — former prisoners look like
anybody else. Ninety-seven percent of
incarcerated men and women return to
the community and interact with an
unknowing public every day. The
stereotype must be wrong.

"And Still We Rise" is a collaboration
of theatre artists and social justice
advocates who work together with ex-
prisoners and their loved ones to bring
a powerful, articulate, personal voice of
prison experience to the public for the
purpose of healing, education,
empowerment, and social change.

It began at City Mission in Boston as a
therapeutic means of self-expression.

"It was a way to get former prisoners
to talk about themselves and get them
out of their shells," says Sociology
Professor Jenifer Drew, who was
instrumental in bringing the program
to Lasell. "Their stories are very
powerful and tliey started performing
pieces that discussed their growing up,
imprisonment, survival, and re-entry."

"Prison is not there to reform you,"
said an actor. "It warehouses you. You
have to refuse to lose and take yourself
out of the vicious revolving door cycle
that happens to many prisoners."

"You have to learn to love yourself,"
explained another former prisoner.
"I was mentally incarcerated and I
found that when you get self-respect,
everyone will respect you. You can
grow if you choose to. When you have
a lot of time to talk to cockroaches and
ants you get to know yourself. I had
to dig deep into my faith and be
determined never to say 'no.' I started
working in the law library and read 20

— 30 books a month. I worked out,
stayed healthy and thought healthy."

"Our job is to educate the audience,"
said an actor. "Once people come to an
understanding that rehabilitation makes
prisoners take responsibility for what
they've done, the hope is that the
audience's feelings will be ameliorated.
Talking at Lasell stiffened our spine and
I hope we opened doors because when
you change your heart it feels so good." W

Poetry and Jazz Reverberate in de Witt

Nationally Known Artists Magdalena Gomez and
Fred Ho Perform

Poetry and music are brute
necessities, not luxuries," said poet,
playwright, and arts educator
Magdalena Gomez as she introduced
the spellbinding performance that was
about to follow. In a program titled
"Caliente!! Circle round the Sun:
Revolutions in Poetry and Jazz," she
and baritone saxophone player Fred Ho
filled de Witt Hall with the cadence of
word and music. The event was
sponsored by the Office of Student
Activities, the Donahue Institute
for Values and Pubic Life, and the
Honors Program.

(L to R) Fred Ho and Magdalena Gomez
deliver a powerful performance.

The program began with Ms. Gomez
delivering a powerful reading of several
of her poems. Her words reverberated,
delivering a message that although at

times humorous, carried a cutting
political or social message. "Mine is a
journaHstic poetry," she said. "My eyes
are always awake and when I see
something, I take a note."

Using the deep sounds of the baritone
sax, Fred Ho played three pieces that
told the stories of early Japanese,
Chinese, and Filipino immigrants. In
his journey as an Asian-American artist,
he has delved deeply into the history of
each of these populations. His study of
Japanese folk songs was the inspiration
for his first number. "Old fishing songs
became songs for the Japanese who
arrived in Hawaii to work on the sugar
plantations. They were sung exclusively
by women and the earthiness comes
from the hardship they endured,"
he explained.

At the conclusion of the program,
the two artists performed together with
Fred Ho improvising to the rhythms
of Ms. Gomez's poems. It was unique
and inspiring. *>'

Support and Advocacy
for Prisoners

Marian Salama
'08 Interns at
Partakers

The goal
of Partakers is
to assist in
the healing
transformation
of prisoners,"
explains Legal
Studies major Marian Salama '08
who did her fall internship at the
Auburndale, MA non-profit
organization and who is continuing
her work there this semester as a
directed study. "We train volunteers
to be mentors to support the
inmates who are in the Boston
University Prison Education
Program. A bachelor's degree
means so much to the prisoners
and being part of helping them
regain their self-respect is intense
and meaningful."

Partakers takes great care in pairing
up the volunteers and the prisoners.
"We read the files of both parties,"
explains Marian "and each inmate
has a team of four to six volunteers
from congregations throughout
Greater Boston that works with him
or hen We want to make as good a
fit as we can. The volunteers are the
inmate's contact with the outside
world and there needs to be a
feeling of trust."

10 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Connected Learning

Original Audience Interactive Theatre Work

Basic Acting Class Performs "The Facebook Chronicles"

The audience is asked to vote for either
(L to R) Jenny Viano 'ii, Kate Roberts 'lo
or Andy Roch 'oy.

The i6 students in Humanities
Professor Hortense Gerardo's Basic
Acting Class initially had no idea that
the pieces they were asked to write at
the beginning of the semester would
lead to a 75 -minute original production
titled "The Facebook Chronicles." "I
asked them to create characters that
could be based on themselves or be
fictional and I think that they were
shocked to discover that by doing their
homework assignments they had
actually woven together a piece that
could be produced," Professor
Gerardo recalls.

The theme of the play was coming of
age in Boston with a story line of a day
in the life of aU the characters. "I picked
the title 'Facebook Chronicles' because
it's in keeping with today's college life,"
explains Professor Gerardo. "It's young,
urban, and hip.

Three students from Professor Peter
Watson's Interior Design and Display
class created the set for the play, which
included a large screen for the back of
the stage where images and questions
to the audience could be displayed.
Depending on the audience feedback,
the play shifted from one story to the
next. "Each night there was a variable,"

The opening scene of "The Facebook Chronicles.

Classroom Performance System (CPS)
into the play. CPS uses a computer and
a projector enabling the audience to
answer questions by beaming their
clickers onto a receiver

"By using the audience clickers, we
were able to take interactivity on stage

The entire "Facebook Chronicles" cast takes a minute before going on stage. (L to Rj Kate
Roberts '10, Jenny Viano '11, Brianna McLellan '11, Sarah Carleton '11, AJ Fox '11, Brian
Whelan '08, Amanda Cook '11, Andrew Deitch 'n, Karissa Ranken '10, Ashley Medeiros
'11, Scott Janz '11, and Andy Roch 'oj.

explains Professor Gerardo. "Was the
audience up for melancholy or laughs?
It was exciting not knowing which way
the play would go."

"I think of myself as a shy person, but
doing this show made me much more
comfortable and confident. During
'The Facebook Chronicles' we bonded
as a group and everyone had a chance
to shine." >•'

M FA Curator

Lauren Whitley at Lasell

Collaborative
Fashion Exhibit
Presented

■ he Wedeman Art Gallery was the
site of an exhibit that profiled
evening and cocktail dresses from
Lasell's Museum Collection. The
display was the result of a
collaborative teaching effort.
Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Curator
Lauren Whitley, who is teaching 20th
Century Fashion at the College this
year, and her class worked closely
with both Fashion Professor Peter
Watson's Interior Design and
Display class and with Curator of
the Lasell Museum Collection and
Fashion Professor Jill Carey to create
the show.

"We are so fortunate to have Lauren
teaching at Lasell," says Professor
Carey "The students have been able
to draw from her depth of
knowledge and professional
experience as Curator at the MFA."

fl to R) MFA Curator Lauren
Whitley and Ashley Abentroth 'og
adjust a garment.

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves II

¥n

Connected Learning

Music, Visual, and Performance Arts Combine

Spiritus: An Interdisciplinary Event to Honor the Dead

Cl Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of
the Dead, invokes intriguing and
mystical feehngs that are associated
with tlioughts of departed souls. "It's a
day that has special significance in
many cultures and this fall we decided
to hold an interdisciplinary event that
would honor and celebrate the lives of
people who have died and whose
spirits continue to influence the
living," explains Graphic Design
Professor Stephen Fischer. "There are
many rituals associated with the Day
of the Dead and we drew on some of
them and created others of otir own
for a program we called Spiritus,
meaning soul."

Five faculty members joined Professor
Fischer in planning the events of the
day and had their classes participate in
its creation. By including the ideas of
the different disciplines, the event

shrine or display area for the portraits
and masks. "Professor Fischer
explained his idea for the altar and
then left it to us," recalls Shannon
Oliver '08. "We had to work within a
budget and create a piece that fit the
event's mood. I think we bought up
eveiy piece of black fabric in the area
to cover the shrine's stairs and we
designed the fire lighting at the top."

ly portraits surrounded the altar in the center of the room.

became a colorful and respectful
celebration whose mood evolved from
reflective to upbeat, ending with a
New Orleans fiinereal jazz band.

Professor Peter Watson's Interior
Design and Display Class created the

in keeping with the respectfully
commemorative nature of the
evening," she explains.

The room was lit by luminaries that
had been created by Professor Margo
Lemieiax's Drawing/ Graphic Design
class and projection and sound were
handled by Professor Tore Terrasi and
his students. Images were thrown on
the ceiling and Professor Terrasi
himself created a special ghost effect
visible through a small opening in the
stage curtain using the reflections
from pieces of glass.

The colorful masks incorporate symbols
from the borders of the portraits.

Fashion Students
Decorate Benefit
for Accelerated
Cure for MS

It was an evening of fun,
fashion and fabulous footwear at
Boston's Hampshire House,"
recalls Fashion Professor Anne
Vallely, "and a great deal of credit
for the festive air at the Glow and
Behold Ball must be given to the
original artwork and decorations
of 22 members of my Fashion
Promotion class."

The Basic Acting class performed an
improvisational piece.

Student sketches were displayed at
the benefit.

The students set about creating
original sketches that reflected the
theme and color scheme of the
evening. They created butterflies
which floated above their fashion
illustrations and made drawings of
fantastic footwear. On the actual
day of the event, the Lasell team
tackled every job that came their
way with competence and
enthusiasm and installed the
decorations on five floors of the
Hampshire House.

12 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Ci/^^s^ note^s^

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the interest of protecting the privacy of our alumni, it is the policy of the Alumni
Relations Office not to divulge alumni addresses, e-mail addresses, or phone numbers unless it has been
verified that the request is from another alumnus.

The content of Class Notes is based on material submitted to Lasell College's Alumni Office. Due to
the large number of submissions, Lasell is unable to verify the factual content of each entry and is not
responsible for erroneous material.

The Class Notes printed in this issue w/ere received by March 3, 2008 and notes received after that
date will appear in the next issue. If you w/ish to have a photograph returned, please include a stamped,
self-addressed envelope.

Please send your new/s to the Alumni Office at 1844 Commonw/ealth Avenue, Newton, MA 02466-2716.

YOU MAY EMAIL CLASS NOTES OR ADDRESS CHANCES TO US AT alumni@lasell.edu

\jyou have not received an enn ail from us in the last three months, we do not have your current
email address. Please send it to alumni@lasell.edu and include all your current information:
name, address, and telephone number.

1930*5

1937

"I am a 91-year-old graduate of Lasell
and had the most amazing experience,"
writes Barbara Bumham Rice. "Haifa
continent and three quarters of a
century away from graduation, I had
the pleasure of running into another
graduate. I'm living in an assisted living
apartment which has a happy hour
every Friday. A woman came along and
sat next to me. We began sharing
histories. She said she had lived most
of her life in Puerto Rico except for a
couple of years spent in the states when
she was in college. When I asked her
where she attended college, she replied
LaseU. I was shocked. Here we are,
living in Texas, both in our go's, and we
found a connection. What fun we had
reminiscing about days gone by."

1938

Our sincere condolences to Connie
Hatch Herron on the death of her
husband, Bruce, in March 2007.

1939

Jeanne Daniels Wheeler's husband had
a massive stroke and is confined to a
nursing home.

Doris Huntington Manning is doing
well. She is living in an assisted living
facility in South Carolina.

i94o's

1943

"Just one year ago I left Orlando to
move to a retirement home in New
Hampshire near two of my children,"
writes Betty Gorton Collier. "It seems
to have everything I could possibly need
or desire." Betty continues, "It was
wonderful to be near enough to Lasell
to attend Tom de Witt's farewell and the
reception for our new president. Life
couldn't be better."

Nazarene Mondello Stramondo is

delighted to announce the birth of
her second grandchild, a grandson,
in July 2007.

1945

Our sincere condolences to Jane
Baringer Wordsworth on the death of
her husband, Winston, in February.

From Sarasota, FL, Terry Bergeron Hoyt

sends an update: "I still work as a
volunteer and am a member of my
community's food committee. If s the
same old story — some like the food,
some don't. I recently became a
member of the Sarasota Ballet
Association. I look forward to seeing
their productions this season. I will be
recovering from surgery in December.
I feel fine and know all will be well
again after a much needed rest."

Cousins Dorothy Domina WUlard and
Clarice Lothrop Davin '43 spent an
enjoyable day touring northeastern
Vermont during fall foliage season.

1947

Barbara Adler Melone celebrated 60
years working for the Massachusetts
Medical Society. She has filled varied
roles over the years including executive
secretary, director of membership, and
administrative assistant in the executive
office. Currently she is membership
information administrator Regarding
retirement she says, "I will keep going
as long as I can contribute to the
organization, its members, and
mission." In her free time, Barbara
knits, does embroidery, gardens,
consumes 40 to 50 books of all kinds
each year, and is a sports fanatic when it
comes to the Red Sox and the Patriots.

1948

Our sincere condolences to Honey
Markham Wedeman on the death of her
husband, Joe, in October and to Ann
Truex Dickinson on the death of her
husband, Warren, in February.

1949

Ann Fletcher Simonds lives most of the
year in the Florida Keys. She has been
writing for publications since Lasell and
was the first editor of the Littleton
Independent in 1955. "Better Laugh
than Cry" is a collection of her essays on
topics ranging from raising children
and pets to travel near-disasters. Her
other book is a fictionalized history of
the Fletcher family for young readers.
Her four children are scattered from
North Conway, NH, to Austin, TX to
Monterey, CA.

1950*5

1950

Our sincere condolences to Joan Antun
Rednor on the death of her husband,
Charles, in November.

1951

"We now have 10 grandchildren —
the latest being twins born in
October," Lois Hutchinson Woodward
proudly exclaims.

1952

An update from Roberta Benvenuti:

"Seven years ago I retired as COO of
Bonwit Teller Corp. I live in Syracuse
but spend the winters in Boca Raton
enjoying the warm sunshine. Since
retiring I have tiaveled, done a lot of
gardening, and am enjoying two great-
grandchildren. Last summer I finally
met up with my dear friend, Millicent
Jewell Bruce, in Rockport, MA. We
spent a wonderful day reminiscing
about our fun days at Lasell."

Ginny Johnson Irwin writes, "I'm
recovering from a long illness but
getting stronger every day. I hope to see
Peggy Thompson Wheatley in Florida.

1953

Dot Day Bardarson was the master
artist for the 2007 Seward, AK
mural project. The mural entitled

"Remembering Exit Glacier," is 52 feet
by 20 feet. Thirty-six local artists helped
to paint it including Lasell classmate,
Carol McKay Chaudiere. The mural
will be hung at the Alaska Vocational
Technical School. Dot reminisces
that Jackie Saunders, who lives in
Westwood, MA, was her art teacher at
Lasell, and they have stayed in touch
for the past 54 years. Dot has been
living in Alaska for 37 years.

"All is well," writes Ginger Wilder
Melitz. "I am still snowshoeing.
Our family is growing, and our first
great-grandchild is due in May."

1955

Bobbie Jennings hit the road again in
an RV The tiip began in Sonoma
County, CA, with Winchester Bay, OR
as the final destination. She writes,
"We drove through lovely wine country,
rolling farmlands, pine forests, and
winding rivers." Bobbie had this to say
about camping. "It was designed for
camping. The space is comfortable,
cozy, and uncluttered." One highlight of
the trip was an all-terrain dune buggy
ride over the Oregon dunes. "It was an
exhilarating experience."

Sandra Lally Hovey says it was a great
year for traveling. She went to
Disneyland; Reno; Mesa, AZ; and
Germany. She still insists that the
Pacific Northwest is a great place to live.

Class ofi%^

Dot Da,y Bardarson at work on the Seward, AK mural project.

Spring 2008

Lasell Class Notes I3

Class Notes

"My II grandchildren, ages 3 years to 24
years, hosted a family reunion at the
Marriott Hotel on Singer Island, FL in
)une. " writes Valerie Montanez Barto.
"It was the greatest." Valerie invites
classmates to visit when they are in
West Palm Beach.

1956

While in Japan in October. Atch Ruinen
Slapper and her husband, Erik, former
chair of the Lasell Board of Trustees,
had lunch with Emi Sato '99, spent a
full day with Overseer Sally Ishihara,
and had dinner with Atch's housemate
from Conn House, Yumiko Hattori
Furuhata and her husband. Atch and
Yiuniko had not seen each other since
graduation. Atch says, "All the \'isits
were fun."

Class ofiQ^G

(L to R) Erik Stapper, Atch Ruinen
Stapper, Yumiko Hattori Furuhata.
Standing: Mike Furuhata

Class ofig^G

The Stappers and a friend.

Class ofig^G

(L to R) Ginny Paolillo Lawlor and
Kaye Mackler Aronson. roommates
during their senior year at Lasell,
met for lunch on Cape Cod infuly.
"We had our own mini-reunion!"

An update from Pattie Holland Bird:

"We are still enjoying our summers
in Massachusetts and our winters in
Naples. I am busy with sewing and
stained glass and enjoying my nine
grandchildren. This past summer I
had open heart surgery."

1957

Ginny Krauss White and her husband,
James, celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary in August. They have four
children and nine grandchildren.

Class ofig^y

Fifty years ago and today: Ginny Krauss
White and her husband, fames.

In October, Peggy Ann Kenison Glaister

was an alumni delegate representing
Lasell College at the Houghton College
presidential inauguration.

Evelyn Sanders Brewster and her
husband celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary at a party in July given by
their four children and spouses in
Wolfeboro, NH. Evelyn says, "Among
the guests were my two bridesmaids,
my Lasell roommates, Marcia Jones
Leighton and Ann Bidwell Sanborn,
and my five grandchildren. What a
wonderful time we all had!"

1958

Mary Ann Fuller Young was an alumni
delegate representing Lasell College at
the presidential inauguration at Saint
Michael's College in September.

In mid November, Ann Reeves Burtoris

book about retailing, "If s all about
Retailing: Attracting, Building, and
Keeping Customers," was released. Ann
says, "It will make a great text book as
well as provide excellent advice for
entrepreneurs who want to go into
business for themselves." Ann will be
offering a seminar on retailing during
reunion weekend.

1959

Peg Thomas Graff quips: "Another year,
another birthday, and every birthday is a
gift. There is a fellow in his 80s who
walks about 12+ miles every day. He
says his goal is to 'stay above ground.'
I walk about 4 miles every day with
three Boston Terriers, and I think that
is good."

1960*5

1960

An announcement from Mary
McCartney Kuhrtz: "Any member of the
class of '60 who would like to celebrate
our 50th reunion with a boat trip in
France in the fall 2009 (for alums
only), please contact Sue Spangenberg
Straley, suestraley@aol.com;
Joyce Wheeler Gardner,
ioanmartin@htva.net; or me,
mkuhrtz@aol.com." The "illustrious,
rowdy classmates" planning this
reunion are Faith Bowker-Maloney,
Barbara McAlary Kashar, Mary
McCartney Kuhrtz, Sue Spangenberg
Straley and Joyce Wheeler Gardner.

Class ofigSo

Four friends from the Class ofigGo
attended the Cape Cod event at the
home offoan Conradi McLaughlin
'^g in September (L to R) foyce
Wheeler Gardner, Mary McCartney
Kuhrtz, Barbara McAlary Kashar,
Cricket Bigelow George.

Our sincere condolences to Carol
Vincent Cook whose husband, Peter,
died three years ago of lung cancer.
Recently Carol moved from Florida,
where she had been living for the past
38 years, to NYC to share an apartment
with her daughter and i-year-old
granddaughter. Carol says, "Quite a
lifestyle adjustment!" Carol stays in
touch with Carlene Michael Haines
who recently moved into a new house
in Meriden, CT. Carol would enjoy
getting together with classmates
who are living in NYC or visiting
the "Big Apple."

1961

Our sincere condolences to Karla
Robinson Dunham on the death of her
husband, Edward, in October.

Nan Sparks Hunter proudly announced
that her grandkids total eight. She says,
"I am working full-time but find time
for extensive traveling once a year.
There was Africa in 2007 and China
in 2008." Nan hopes to make the
next reunion.

1962

Our sincere condolences to Sally
Remley Southmayd on the death of her
father, James Remley, in November. Mr.
Remley was the conductor of Lasell's
Orphean Club for many years.

1963

Penny Peterson Atwell and her golden
retriever, Bear, are an incredible team.
Bear is a therapy dog with Therapy
Dogs International. Penny and Bear
visit patients in nursing homes,
Alzheimer's units, and have recently
been asked to work with hospice. Penny
says, "Bear has so many fans at the
places we visit. He seems to understand
what patients need from him."

Class of 1^63

Penny Peterson Atwell and Bear.

1964

In October, Marsha Graziano Ballantyne

was an alumni delegate representing
Lasell College at the presidential
inauguration at Assumption College.

1965

Carole Bellew was an alumni delegate
representing Lasell College at the
presidential inauguration at The
New England College of Optometry
in September.

1966

"I can't believe I'm 61 years old and my
Lasell graduation was over 40 years
ago," writes Nancy Palmer Brandston.
"I retired last year so I have had one
year to relax. I love retirement."
Along with retirement usually comes
downsizing, but not so for Nancy.
"We need a place where I can utilize
some of my new found time for a
favorite pastime — gourmet cooking in
a gourmet kitchen." In September,
Nancy had a mini reunion in LaQuinta,
CA, with "old" friends from Draper
House: Sandra Shadle Marsilius, Gail
MacLean Wilbum, Susan Zele
Buxbaum, Susan Roberts Richey (the
host). Nancy says, "We look forward to
another reunion in 2008 with two
additional Draper girls: Carolyn Graham
Romyn and Judy Locke Lorenzo."

lA. Lasell Class Notes

Spring 2008

Class Notes

Class ofig66

Class ofigGg

Class of 1^88

In October, Lois Sawyer Caulfield
was an alumni delegate representing
Lasell College at the Siena College
presidential inauguration.

1967

"I will be celebrating 39 years of
marriage to my husband, Fred," writes
Sandra Erkis Summer. "We have three
grown children, and I am grandmother
to an adorable granddaughter."

Jane Lazarz is the president and
designer of In-between Court &
Sportswear in Huntington Beach, CA.
It all began when Jane move from New
England to southern California in 1990
and decided to take up tennis. As she
got into the game, she felt the need to
design a line of clothing "that departed
from the frilly or polka-dot panties that
were the fashion at the time." Her
innovative sportswear is known for
its smart balance of form, function,
and fashion.

Congratulations to Kathy Morgan Lucey
on the birth of her third grandchild,
a grandson.

1968

Lisa Altshuler Freidus moved to Fort
Myers, FL, to be near her daughter and
family. Lisa has this announcement:
"We will be grandparents this spring.
We are so excited."

Jackie Hofimeier Lee had eight Lasell
"girls" at her wedding in December
2006: Mamie Ewart Bacot, Anne Kusik
Roush, Stephanie Pendleton, Melinda
Smith Partridge, Carol Spindler
Picciano, Ann Sterner Tyler, Pat
Torbron Geoghegan, and Libby
Wissman Walendziewicz.

1969

Robin Hausman Morris had this to say
in the eulogy she gave for Susan Hartsig
Lek who died of cervical cancer in
October "I am here to tell you about
one very special friendship, one that
bore the test of time and circumstance.
Susan was my college roommate, nearly
40 years ago, and now as my children
form new alliances, I wonder who in
their lives will weather the storms that

(L to R) Susan Hartsig Lek and
Robin Hausman Morris.

life offers. Susan was that person. We
met in 1968 at Lasell. We simply grew
up together, solidifying a bond, as
teenagers to adults." Robin ended the
eulogy with this simple statement: "And
so I now say goodbye to my dear friend,
never forgotten, simply at peace."

1970*5

1970

Maggie Cohen Sherman writes, "I am a
community celebration artist. I use art
as the medium to bring people
together." Check out Maggie's website:
www.handsonproduct.com. In February,
there was an exhibit of 25 years of
Maggie's work entitled, "A Mid-career
Retrospective — Beyond Warm and
Fuzzy!" at the Vermont State House
in Montpelier.

1973

Robin Genden owns an optometric
practice in Mashpee on Cape Cod.
She has a 13-year-old son. Robin says,
"I loved Lasell and hope to hear from
some of my classmates."

In October, Janet Peck Riordan was an

alumni delegate representing Lasell
College at the presidential inauguration
at Antioch University in Los Angeles.

Chris Urbano is a director of nursing.
Her daughter is graduating college and
her son is graduating the University of
Texas LBJ School of Pubhc Affairs.

1978

There was an exhibit of 33 pieces of
Sandra Beraha's art at the Joseph
Thomas Galleries in White Plains, NY
in November. Her website is:
www.artwanted.com/sandraberaha.

1979

Christine Tribou is negotiating with
Lippencott Williams & Wilkins
Publishers regarding writing some text
on nursing for them. She says, "I have
been wined and dined by them. I am
thrilled with the prospect."

Laura French McKenna and her husband, Brian, cheered for the Red Sox in game 1 of
the World Series. Laura says, "The game was awesome. "

1980*5

1990*5

1982

Lisa Allen McGofF lives in Medford, MA
with her husband and three children.
She stays in touch with Lori Stein
Ferrari who lives in Connecticut. Lisa
says, "I would love to hear from some
of you and be updated on your lives."

1985

Our sincere condolences to Jill Flaherty

Mazzola on the death of her sister, Joan.

1987

Dayra de La Guardia de Arias writes,
"I would like to know about my
friends from Lasell. My email is
darias@semusarealty.com. Please
contact me."

1989

Victoria Linares Ceylan and her

husband of 14-1/2 years live in
Danbury, CT with their 6-year-old son.
Victoria is a stay-at-home mom, and she
and her husband own a business.

Class ofigg^

1994

Rebecca Hodgkins is director of
marketing for Cramer, a digital
marketing and event solutions agency
in Norwood, MA. Rebecca is in an
MBA program at Curry College.

Class ofigg4

Rebecca Hodgkins.

Class of 1995

Brandi Robinson Dunlop enjoys a
dance with her husband, Bill Dunlop,
Jr., at her wedding in July zooy.

Amy Kohut Farina enjoys her
wedding day with several Lasell
friends (L to R) Kerry Brody Barber,
Amy, Brenda Bemier Atallah,
Jessica Tabolt Magne.

Spring 2008

Lasell Class Notes 1 5

Class Notes

1997

Lori Whitney writes, "1 recently moved
back to Maine to be closer to my family.
It has been quite an adjustment after
living near Boston for 14 years, but I am
very happy to have my own house with
a big yard! 1 also made a big career
change and am currently working for
Bank of America as a customer service

2000'S

2000

Meredith Byam Miller realized that
her talent in fashion design was in
"spotting, recognizing, and forecasting
fashion trends," which eventually led
her into the consignment business.
A few years ago she opened her own
shop. Poor Little Rich Girl, in Davis
Square, Somerville. Her style is "quirky,
eclectic, and fun-loving." In 2006 she
took a second big leap and moved into
larger quarters.

Class 0/2001

The union of Heidi Lewis-Smith
and Brian Smith '02 produced
daughter, Reese Kathleen, horn
on November zg, zooj.

2002

Tangi Pina started a business in which
she personalizes children's books. Says
Tangi, "The books make unique baby
gifts or birthday and holiday gifts for
children up through age 12." Check out
Tangi's website: www.iseeme.com.

Class of 2002
I

Two fiends are enjoying motherhood.
(L to R) Tangi Pina with daughter,
Madison, andjenn Benton Hunter
with son, Landon.

Gus Batista joined Nissan North
America, Inc. as the southeast regional
fixed operations manager for the
Miami/ West Palm district. He lives in
Miami Beach.

Kellee Cormier Miller accepted the
position of Lasell College Director
of The Holway Child Study Center at
the Barn.

Ben Gomez is counsel for Washington
Square Financial in Boca Raton, FL.

2003

Karina Fontanez married Phillip
Holmes on August 18, 2007 at the
Devens Common Center in Fort
Devens, MA. She says, "We had a
wonderful celebration with our family
and friends."

Class of 200^

Karina Fontanez and Phillip Holmes.

Betsy Chominski received an MBA from
the Simmons School of Management in

August '07.

Ami Ruehrwein got a promotion and is
now a contemporary marketing team
leader. She reports, "I cut down my
accounts to my top five and help
oversee a team of seven. I do
scheduling, set up bigger events,
approve expense reports, order all
promotional products, and help my boss
with big projects." In other news. Ami
and Troy Wall '05 got a Boston Terrier
named Tessie and are buying a house in
Wakefield, MA.

Class of 2002

2004

Amy Sprague Sundberg writes, "I

recently tied the knot on the popular
date of 7/7/07. Two of my bridesmaids
were Mary Pat Smyth and Bekah
Levine."

Class of 2004

Amy Sprague Sundberg and her
husband, Soren.

Jackie Wong married Kirk Yeomans
on June 9, 2007 at the Lighthouse Inn
in New London, CT. Jackie says, "My
maid of honor was my best friend,
Wendy Chan."

Class of 2004

Theresa Ashe Capasso exclaims, "Yes,
twins! Joseph Donato and Isabella
Rose were bom November 7, 2006."

Jaclyn Wong Yeomans and her
husband. Kirk.

According to Tanya Barbosa Gallagher
who married Michael Gallagher in June,
the following Lasell grads attended their
wedding: Chris Hickey, Matthew
Hutchinson '03, Diana Maiato, Michael
Norton '03, and Matthew Staley '03.
Tanya and Mike bought a house in
Sharon in October. Tanya is working at
a sports and physical therapy clinic in
Wellesley and is an athletic trainer at
the Dover-Sherborn High School.
Mike is working as a crane operator
in Pembroke and owns his own tree
service business.

About four years ago, Betsy Bezanson
Fife moved to Orlando. She writes,
"I love it here. My husband and I just
purchased a home in Avalon Park. I am
employed as the advertising manager
for Ashley Furniture. I would love to
hear from any long-lost friends.
Go Red Sox!"

Our sincere condolences to Emily Bird
on the death of her grandmother, Jean
Allen Bird '38, in August.

Crystal Crafts Rivera is a buyer for a
lingerie store in Northampton MA. She
returned to work full-time about four
weeks after the birth of her daughter.
Crystal says, "It was quite a juggling act
in the beginning, but everyone has
adapted well — my boss, my daughter,
and me."

James Martin is a clothing designer
in Natidc, MA. He recently opened
up his owTi business called Filthy
Laundry. Check out his website:
filthylaundryliving.com. James is
living in Newton, about two miles
away from Lasell.

2006

Beth D'Esopo is studying for a
Masters degree in Criminal Justice
at Suffolk University.

Holly Jobbagy accepted a position as a
public relations account coordinator
with the firm of Kel & Partners. Holly
says, "I am excited to begin, and it is
only 14 minutes from my apartment
in Framingham."

2007

Mercedes Garcia-Bancroft writes, "I
thought I would share my excitement.
I am running for Miss Massachusetts
International 2008." In her spare time,
Mercedes is working towards a Master's
degree in Management with a
marketing concentration in Lasell's
graduate program.

Greg Lillibridge, a trainer with
Mulrenan Physical Therapy, will lead
both the athletic training and injury
management programs at Austin
Preparatory School. He will be
responsible for the assessment and
management of on-field injuries for the
more than 300 student athletes.

Chris Roy accepted the position of data
coordinator for Suffolk University in
Boston. He is living in Newton.

Upcoming Alumni Events

If you are interested in sponsoring
or helping to organize an alumni
event in the future, please contact
the Alumni Relations Office,
1844 Commonwealth Avenue,
Newton, MA 02466-2716,
617-243-2139,
617-243-2467 or
alumni@iasell.edu.

Lasell Class Notes

Spring 2008

class Notes

not^3ene

Engagements

Joanna Winslow 'oi to Jessie Rae
Ami Ruehrwein '03 to Troy Wall '05
Tiziana Buddie '04 to Ronald Mayberry
Andrea Kimball '04 to Joshua Roman
Troy Wall '05 to Ami Ruehrwein '03

Marriages

Jackie Hoffineier Lard '68 to

David Lee on December 29, 2006

Amy Kohut '95 to Corey Farina
on June 2, 2007

Deborah Johns '97 to Dr. Victor
Freeman on September 29, 2007

Carissa Templeton '98 to Kurt Tondorf
on September 14, 2007

Karif Cortiella '02 to Elmira Kamerbayeva

Jarrod VanDerwerken '02 to Stacey
Pollock on September 29, 2007

Karina Fontanez '03 to Phillip Holmes
on August 18, 2007

Katrina Hester '03 to Dwayne Antonio
on June 27, 2007

Tanya Barbosa '04 to Michael
Gallagher '04 on June 2, 2007

Betsy Bezanson '04 to Richard Fife
in August 25, 2006

Crystal Crafts '04 to Gabriel Rivera
on May 19, 2006

Lela D'Andrea '04 to Glen Dalton
on June 8, 2007

Michael Gallagher '04 to Tanya
Barbosa '04 on June 2, 2007

Amy Pilat '04 to Michael Weksner
on June 23, 2007

Amy Sprague '04 to Soren Sundberg
on July 7, 2007

Jennifer Toscano '04 to Karl Seibert
on August 4, 2007

Lyndsay Moore '06 to Michael
Fortunato on October 27, 2007

Sylvie Norian '06 to EmU Yeghiaian
on July 7, 2007

Births

Debra Ayube Glass '90, a daughter,
Katherine Elyse, on December 26, 2006

Kerry Brody Barber '95, a daughter,
Isabella Anne, on August 7, 2007

Carla DiNatale Smith '97, twins,
Sofia Rose and Caleb Ethan,
on October 3, 2007

Nicole Houdelette Ragognetti '99,

a son, Alexander John, on July 13, 2007

Jennifer Benton Hunter '01, a son,
Landon Edward, April 23, 2007

Heidi Lewis-Smith '01, a daughter,
Reese Kathleen, on November 29, 2007

Ben Gomez '02, a daughter,
Olivia Hannah, June i, 2007

Tangi Pina '02, a daughter,
Madison Olivia, on May 30, 2007

Brian Smith '02, a daughter,

Reese Kathleen, on November 29, 2007

Crystal Crafts Rivera '04, a daughter,
Lola-Marie, on September 11, 2007

Deaths

Elizabeth Stahl Mott '28

on October 16, 2007

Maude Williams Helgesen '29

on May 24, 2007

Ruth Gerry Means '31

on January 3, 2008

Gertrude Homer Mosher '32

on January 2, 2008

Dorothy Foss True '33

on December 5, 2007

Mary Shiveley Hiss '33

on January 20, 2008

Jane Spear '33

Alice Floyd Rice '34

on July 19, 2007

Kay Peck Dietler '35

on October 20, 2007

Barbara Young Leach '35

on September 23, 2007

Margaret "Peggy" Walsh '35

on December 7, 2007

Emily Hubbel Weiss '36

on February 23, 2008

Ruth Keyes Murdaugh '36

on June 12, 2007

Audrey Smith Henderson '36

on September 9, 2007

Florence Stetson Pipes '37

Jean Allen Bird '38

on August 19, 2007

Elizabeth Clark Brighton '38

on January 27, 2007

Eleanor Dresser Gross '38
Ada Epstein Hirschman '38

Mary Ann Fishering Feuling '38

on December 3, 2007

Martha Hume Worth '38
Barbara Jeppesen Thomann '38

Trithena McFarland Argo '38

on July 17, 2007

Ruth McLean Collins '38
Ruth Meighan Gillette '38
Mary Rabus Reiber '38

Martha Romaine Jones '38

on August 17, 2006

Jane Sherman O'Brien '38
Audrey Spiller Smalley '38
Carolyn Stuart Drange '38

Eleanor Swett Richards '38

on February 23, 2002

Roma Wilson Lhowe '38

Jean Adams '40

on December 23, 2007

Euphemia Burr Gardner '40

on May 27, 2007

Elizabeth Jewett Porter '40

on September 14, 2006

Virginia Purinton Smith '40

on March 17, 2007

Madelyne "Honey" Rose Browne '40

on November 13, 2007

Luceal Welsh Berni '40

on December 26, 2007

Marjorie Williams Eddy '40

Dorothy Walker Hughes '41

in June 2005

Doris Leach Almeida '42

on August I, 2007

Phyllis Nelson Anderson '42

on October 17, 2007

Ruth Anson Drayer '43

on January i, 2007

Cynthia Austin Sharp '43

on May 10, 2007

Jean Brock Stone '43
Nancy Campbell Coffin '43

Jean Dewar Warren '43

on November 4, 2007

Jessie Mackenzie FuUer '43

on July 30, 2007

Dorothy Rosien Roberts '43
Barbara Smith Babbitt '43

Mary Keating Anderson '44

on November 30, 2007

Rachael Kellogg '44

on September 28, 2007

Ann Scott Peal '44

on April 18, 2007

Florence Loizeaux Ritchie '45

in June 2007

Corinne Schlegel Norris '46

on February 8, 2008

Frances Burns McSweeney '47

on February 2, 2008

Jane Carl Turner '47

on October 6, 2007

Carolyn Huntley Gentles '47

on June 29, 2007

Shirley Bonnell Doe '48

on October 14, 2007

Nancy Cummings Jenkins '48
Leona Karski Sweatt '48

Martha Kennedy Ingersoll '48

on November 23, 2007

Barbara Newkirk Metzger '48

Marjorie "Marge" Boynton Anderson '49

on April 12, 2006

Virginia "Ginny" Byrnes Fischer '49

on November 17, 2007

Diane Heath Beever '49

on October 5, 2007

Carlene Humphrey Hopkins '49

on October 31, 2007

Carolyn Loewe Jones '49

on October 11, 2007

Spring 2008

Lasell Class Notes 17

Class Notes

llot^Sene

Joan Stowe Pedersen '49

on August 22, 2006

Margaret Barton '51

Bette Clark Mott '52

on October 7, 2007

Gail Middleton Wolber '53

on July 13, 2007

Doreen Allen Wiggins '58

on June 2, 2007

Nancy Maloney Coyle '58

Starr Tupper Shannon '58

on January 15, 2008

Linda Patterson GifFord '60

Elizabeth "Betsy" Howard Crosbie '61

on February 24, 2008

Mary Golden Michaud '62

on September 27, 2007

Ellen Signorelli Johnson '62

on November 8, 2007

Martha Sweetser Wright '66

on October 3, 2006

Beverly Johnston Jenkins '68

on July 15, 2007

Susan Hartsig Lek '69

on October 2, 2007

Martha Schwartz '70
Margaret Buckley '71

Mary Ellen Miller '73

on December 30, 2007

Nancy Ahlheim Stanton '78

Muriel Sheppard, former faculty,

August 12, 2007

Kevin Tyska, former lacrosse coach and
admission counselor, January 21, 2007

Leonard Wolfe, Friend and Heritage
Society Member, husband of the late Jane
Mehaffey Wolfe '44, and son of
the late Priscilla Alden Wolfe '19,
December 31, 2007

EHzabeth Stahl Mott '28 passed away
on her looth birthday. She was still
enjoying every day and was looking
forward to a party in her honor. She was
a loyal Lasell alumna throughout her
long life.

James Howard Remley passed away
on November i, 2007 at the age of 95.
His entire career was devoted to music
education and Lasell was fortunate to
have him as the conductor of the
Orphean Club for many years. He
inspired students with his charisma
and passion and his daughter Sally
Remley Southmayd '62 and her
husband William named the stage in
the Yamawaki Art and Cultural Center
in his honor during the Lasdl 1^0
Campaign. He will long be remembered
for his commitment to music.

Kevin A Tyska passed away
unexpectedly on January 21, 2008.
He came to Lasell in 1998 and was
the first head coach of the College's
men's lacrosse program. He had an
enormous influence on his players, was
a hard worker and a dedicated coach.
"He loved his student-athletes and
demanded the best from them," says
Lasell Athletic Director Kristy Walter.
"He laid the foundation for the
successful program that we now have.
He will be missed by everyone who
knew him."

Sadly, Overseer Duane V. "Joe"
Wedeman passed away on September
28, 2007. The husband of Harriet
Markham Wedeman '48, the two were
very involved in the Lasell community.
They made a leadership gift to the Lasell
150 Campaign to establish the Harriet
Markham Wedeman Endowed
Scholarship and to support the Winslow
Hall Renovation Project. Both were
involved in the arts and in 2002 the
Wedeman Art Gallery was dedicated to
them. Joe was an accomplished poet
and his words moved those who were
able to attend his funeral.

Requiem Poem

The glow of wealth and fame

Embrace but few

Fame is only fleeting

While memories of loyalty

Withstand the warp of time.

When you depart this earth

A ballot count on judgment day

Need only say

You passed this way

And took your turn to watch.

(Published in "Tlie Coming of Dawn" National
Library of Poetry, Library of Congress, 7993J

D.V. WEDEMAN

Navajo Boy

My humble hogan once shamed me

My confounded youth sought city life

Silent books cried out to me, I came

Talk without truth mocked me, I cried

My rivers were made of concrete, my sky of smoke

Of noise my ear is bruised, my brain is addled

I longed for truth in the bleat of sheep

The song of the mockingbird

In our native tongue "Ya Te He" again to my father

My hogan is now my castle

A happy hunting ground once more is mine

I shall wander no more.

{1994)

D.V. WEDEMAN

Lasell Class Notes

Spring 2008

Campus updat

Facu Ity/StafF U pdate

chair of the
Communication
Department
Janice Barrett,

Ed.D., is serving
as one of four
reviewers
nationwide for the
Fulbright Commission's current cycle of
appUcants. At the National
Communication Association's annual
convention in Chicago, the
Commimication professors in
attendance from across the country
elected Dr. Barrett to the position of
Vice Chair of the Conflict Resolution
and Peace Division and Program
Planner for the 2008 convention in
San Diego.

Associate Fashion
Professor Jill
Carey worked on a
special project
with two students
researching
women's military
uniforms between
WWI and the Vietnam era for a
permanent exhibit housed on the USS
Massachusetts at Battleship Cove in Fall
River, MA. The exhibit opened in March
and was titled "Female Faces of War."

a Assistant Professor
of Communication
Jennifer Chakroff,
Ph.D. will present a
paper on mitigating
the unintended
effects of advertising
on young children
in Montreal, Canada at the annual
conference of the International
Communication Association. She
has also co-authored an article on
newspaper coverage of intimate partner
violence that is to be published in the
Journal of Communication.

Assistant
Professor of
Environmental
Science Michael
Daley, Ph.D. has
been awarded two
Putnam Family
Faculty
Development Fund Grants this
academic year: in Spring 2008 for the
restructuring of Science for Educators II
(SCI104) and in Fall 2007 for a
connected learning project for Global
Ecology (SCI211). He has authored
several books on eastern hemlock
water use.

f Director of

Technology for
the RoseMary B.
Fuss Technology
for Learning
Center and
Assistant
Professor of Computer and Information
Science Richard Dodds made a
presentation at Framingham State
College's Conference on e-Portfolio
in Higher Education: Applications
in Academic Technology and
Learning Outcomes which was titled
Discussion and Review of e-Portfolio
Software Solutions.

KeUee MiUer '02

has been
appointed
Director of the
Holway Child
Study Center at
the Bam. She has
served as Interim
Director of the Bam since 2007 and will
begin work on a Master of Education
degree this fall.

Marilyn Negip has
been appointed
l\^K -^ ^^^H Director of the
i(^V l^^^H Brennan Library.
She joined Lasell
in January 2006
as Reference
Librarian/
Archivist. Prior to that, she was the
Library Director at Justin-Siena High
School in Napa, CA. She holds a Master
of Library Science degree from San Jose
State University.

Professor of
Biology Stephen
Sarikas, Ph.D. has
been on sabbatical
for the spring
semester to work
on the second
edition of his lab
manual. Laboratory Investigations in
Anatomy e[ Physiology, published by
Pearson Benjamin Cummings. It is due
out in January, 2009.

Director of the
RoseMary B. Fuss
Center for
Research on
Aging and
Intergenerational
Studies and Dean
of Graduate and
Professional Studies Mark Sciegaj,
Ph.D. was the plenary speaker at the
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment
System State Case Managers Annual
Meeting. The title of his talk was
Facilitating the Paradigm Shift fi-om Case
Management to Consumer Directed Care.
In The Journal on Aging and Social Policy
he co-authored an article on state
experiences with implementing the cash
and counseling demonstration and
evaluation project.

Barbara (Bobbie)
Sproat has been
appointed
Reference
Librarian/
Archivist at
Brennan Library.
1^ it . . -■ .. fJk'i. k She has worked as
a reference librarian at both Lasell and
Simmons College and has worked in
the archives of the National Textile
History Museum.

Lasell Village Rededication

College Receives
$125,000 Alden Trust
Grant to Continue
Campus-Wide
Wireless Access

Lasell College received a $125,000
grant from the George I. Alden
Trust in Worcester, MA recently to
help further develop a w/ireless
campus at the College along with
the educational venues of Lasell
Village. The receipt of the grant was
announced jointly by Ruth Shuman,
dean for Institutional Advancement
and Deborah Gelch, Chief
Information Officer. The two
worked together to create the
grant-yielding proposal.

The proposal titled "Connected
Student Experience at Lasell
College" requested funds to provide
the resources necessary to increase
the coverage of Lasell's wireless
campus from 5% to 55% over the
next few months.

"With this grant, wireless access
will be added to some residence
halls, classrooms, and public
spaces," explains Dean Shuman.
"As the College's enrollment
continues to increase, transforming
unused or public space into new
learning venues continues to be a
key strategy in meeting the
challenge of managing this growth."

"Over the years, Alden Trust has
been instrumental in helping the
College build the technology
infrastructure to support Lasell's
educational mission while
maintaining a competitive edge.
We are excited to be able to
continue our long-standing
relationship with Alden Trust,"
says Deborah Gelch. ¥

«»

Honorees at the Village ribbon cutting this past fall for the reopening of the newly renovated
Pete's Store and Margaret's Cafe were (L to R) President Tom de Witt, Margaret Ward, and
former College Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Lasell Village Osier "Pete" Peterson.

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves I Q

Campus Update

Lasell's Steven Bloom Pens Student Companion to
Eugene O'Neill

r or Steven F. Bloom, Lasell's dean of
Undergraduate Education and professor
of English, the celebrated American
playwright Eugene O'Neill has become
almost like family. In the preface to his
latest O'Neill analysis — a hardcover
book called Student Cotnpanion to
Eugene O'Neill (Greenwood Press), on
Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
— Steve thanks his wife and children
"for making room for O'Neill at our
dinner table."

Indeed, the brooding dramatist who
won the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1936. and wTote more than 50 plays
including a number he never completed
to his satisfaction and destroyed, has ""*'"
been a steadfast companion to Steve,
who has built a reputation as an astute,
insightful and dedicated O'Neill scholar.

Steven Bloom has published numerous
articles and reviews on O'Neill, and has
spoken about the storied theatrical
craftsman — considered America's
greatest dramatist — at many
professional conferences and other
public forums. He has also completed
his two-year term (2006-2007) ^s the
president of the Eugene O'Neill Society
and has been a member of the Society's
Board of Directors since 2000. He
knows the playwright and his work
inside out.

It is why Steve was invited to write the
book on O'Neill — one of a series on
classic writers designed as a library
resource for students in high school
and college.

Steven Bloom says that "for all of his
importance, Eugene O'Neill is not
terribly well knowTi by young people
these days, unless perhaps they have a
particular interest in theatre. American
playwrights more commonly studied in
high schools are Thornton Wilder,
Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller.

"I think high school teachers have
tended to stay away from O'Neill
because he has the reputation of writing
long and depressing plays and his work
seems to be a little less accessible." But,
as he says in his new book, "many of
these works will, in fact, reward further
study, especially when considered, as all
, dramatic literature should be, with an
eye toward their theatricality." ,

Even in college, American drama is
often thought of as the step-child of .j^y-
American literature, and O'Neill is,
therefore, inadequately represented in
American literature course syllabi.
Professor Bloom reports that the
Eugene O'Neill Society, which promotes
the study of O'Neills life and works,
supports increased acknowledgment
of the playwright's status in more
American literature curricula, both in
high schools and colleges.

"It's unfortunate," he says, "that such an
important figure in American literature
has been underappreciated. But then,
except for Shakespeare, drama has
traditionally been somewhat less highly
regarded by literature professors tha:
fiction or poetry. Maybe it's Because
Irama, which requires theatrical

T U D E N T CO M

Eugene O'Neill

production and performance, is more
of a collaborative art form than other

literary genres."

Next on Professor Bloom's professional
horizon is presenting a paper at the 7th
International O'Neill Conference in
California this June on prime time
O'Neill. He vvill cover how the
playwright's work has paved the way for
the treatment of alcoholism and drug
addiction in movies and TV. «

Legal Representation for Those Denied Just Treatment

Rebecca Kiley Talks of a Justice System in Crisis

Our death penalty system is in
crisis and we are sentencing
juveniles to life sentences," said
Rebecca Kiley as she spoke to
students and faculty at Lasell. She is
a staff attorney for the Equal Justice
Initiative (EJI) of Alabama, a private,
nonprofit organization that provides
legal representation to indigent
defendants and to prisoners who
have been denied fair and just
treatment in the legal system.

"The United States has the highest
rate of incarceration in the world,"
explained Kiley. In Alabama, there
are more inmates per capita on
death row than any other state and
it has an unusual justice system. It
is one of eight states that holds

partisan elections for its courts, thereby
making judges very conscious of voter
opinion in election years.

"Race plays a huge role in this state,"
continued Kiley. "While 65 percent
of victims are Afro-Americans, this
community is not represented on
the juries. Furthermore, there is a weak
public defender system. The accused
are represented by attorneys who
are selected by a lottery system.
Under these circumstances, it is not
surprising that more blacks are
convicted and executed."

EJI provides legal representation and
assistance to dozens on death row in
Alabama and challenges the unreliable
use of capital punishment across the

U.S. It also provides legal aid to those
who have been wrongly convicted or
sentenced to life imprisonment without
the possibility of parole.

■The prosecution of the underaged is a
further concern of EJI. "We have a
number of 13- and 14-year-old clients
and we are challenging their convictions
and sentences. Sending juveniles to
adult prison is a process that is uniquely
American. These young people are
not developed in a lot of ways, are
susceptible to peer pressure, and have
less of an abihty to assess risks,"
said Kiley.

"We should look at our treatment of this
age group and ask what it means for us
as a society. EJI advocates for change

Two students
Receive Special
Recognition

Ashlyn Chesney '09

from Hampden,
Maine was one of
12 people selected
out of a pool
of over 1000
contestants by a
panel of industry experts to appear
in Lord and Taylor's 2009 Spring
Campaign. She and the other eleven
finalists of the 2008 Lord and Taylor
Model Search traveled to New York
where she and a young man from
Virginia were named the winners.
All 12 finalists participated with
seasoned New York models in a
Fashion Show at the store's flagship
on Fifth Avenue. The event was
hosted by TV personality Robert
Verdi and the judges included
supermodel-actress Carol Alt and
David Lipman, chairman of LIPMAN,
the advertising agency responsible for
Lord and Taylor's much talked about
$10 million branding campaign.

Laura Notarangelo

'09 received $iooo
for her winning
essay in a national
competition
sponsored by
"Outside the
Classroom: Alternative Spring
Break." Her Honors Seminar titled
"AIDS in America," through which
"I learned the facts on this rampant
virus," inspired a trip by Laura and
12 others from Lasell to Chicago
where they volunteered with Vital
Bridges in Chicago, a non-profit
organization that helps people who
are impacted by HIV and AIDS to
build healthier lives.

Rebeca Kiley answers student questions.

in a system where we do not give
consideration to the age of tire accused,
where there is racial discrimination,
and where the underprivileged are
not given adequate representation." i'

2 O Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Campus Update

Report on Strategic Plan

In his first few months as the new
president of Lasell College, Michael
Alexander was amused to receive the
same question over and over again from
any Lasell constituent whom he met,
whether student, faculty, alumni,
parent, staffer donor.

"So," they would say, "What's your
vision for the College?"

Michael enjoyed seeing the surprise in
the faces of his questioners when he
consistently and resolutely responded
that he didn't have one — yet!

"It can't be my vision," he would
explain. "It must be the vision of the
whole Lasell Community."

Michael looked forward to leading a
collaborative and sustained effort,
involving the whole Lasell community,
to advance Lasell's common vision and
to sustain its momentum for the future.
His goal was to unite the Lasell
constituency around two objectives: "to
continue to strengthen Lasell's position
and ensure its place of prominence
among institutions of higher learning."

In mid- September, two months into his
presidency, Michael Alexander began
the process of doing just that. In a
series of town meetings representing
each constituency of the College, and an
intensive three-day strategic planning
session boasting the participation of key
representatives from each of those
constituencies — the new president of
Lasell facilitated the first round of a
strategic planning process that has
defined the College's vision of what it
will be and what it will look like five
years hence, in 2012.

Where
The Classroom

Is The
Real World

As part of the process, members of the
Lasell community defined the Mission
of the College (Lasell College integrates
challenging coursework with practical
experience in an environment that
fosters lifelong intellectual exploration,
active citizenship and social
responsibility) and identified the
core values of the institution:

• Student focus

• Innovative education across
the lifespan

• Integrity, honesty and ethical
decision making

• Social responsibility

The picture that emerged of Lasell
College in five years included:

• 1,600 undergraduate students and
300 graduate students, with
two-thirds of all courses taught by
full-time, permanent faculty.

• Increased diversity on campus
including a doubling of
international students, a 6 percent
increase in minority students, a

5 percent increase in male students
and a substantial increase in
minorities among the faculty, staff,
and Board of Trustees.

• An increase in the retention of first
year students to at least 75 percent.

• A growth in the endowment of
almost double to at least $40 million
and Annual Fund giving of

$1 million or more.

• Four new master's degree
programs, four service learning
abroad programs and three new
athletic programs.

• Significantly expanded hours of
critical student services, including
health and counseling services.

• More physical space for a growing
student body and faculty as well as
the additional staff to support the
increased size and activity level.

Additionally, the sttategic plan
anticipates:

• Building three additional residence
halls in the next five years — the
College has already begun design
and approval work on two residential
halls, which will be located on
Woodland Road.

• The need to build or renovate space
for offices and classrooms and
expand the athletic facilities.

" The Lasell vision is glued together
by the application of a consistent
educational philosophy, applied
across all academic programs,"
says President Alexander. "Our
connected learning approach to
teaching brings the real world
right into the classroom, where
students work closely with faculty
in a problem-based and project-
based approach, where students
get to practice the work of the
academic subject matter,
preparing them for the day when
they must compete for jobs, adapt
to an ever-changing economy,
encounter diverse peoples and
cultures and grapple with
ethical questions. i

— President Alexander

For a closeup look at the strategic plan in detail, please go to
www.lasell.edu/images/userlmages/fweil/Page_715/Strategic%20Plan_final.pdf

Lasell to Host First International Conference May 19-23

Aging: Families and Households in Global Perspective

I he RoseMary B. Fuss Center for
Research on Aging and International
Studies and the Donahue Institute
for Values and Public Life are hosting
the annual conference for the
Committee on Family Research
(CFR) of the International
Sociological Association from May
19- 23. The conference is titled
"Aging: Families and Households in
Global Perspective."

"We are excited to have a
distinguished group of scholars
coming from around the world to the
Lasell campus," says Center Director

Mark Sciegaj, Ph.D., who is also Dean
of Graduate and Professional Studies.
"Participants are coming from as far
away as China, India, and the Middle
East to hear our keynote speakers and to
share their research."

Tessa LeRoux, Ph.D., Associate
Professor in Sociology and Director
of the Donahue Institute, who is
organizing the conference with Mark
Sciegaj, has been a member of the CFR
for many years and has presented
papers and organized sessions for this
conference in places as far afield as
South Africa, Mexico, and Canada. "I

am thrilled that we are able to put Lasell
on the international academic map by
having this distinguished group of
researchers on our campus," she says.

Conference highlights include:

• May 19: Talk and exhibit of
photographs of supercentenarians
by Jerry Friedman, Chairman,
Earth's Elders Foundation, Inc.

• May 20: Plenary keynote address by
Merril Silverstein, Ph.D., Professor
of Gerontology and Sociology, Family

and Intergenerational Relations at
the University of South California
Davis School of Gerontology.

• May 21: Panel discussion with
Dr. Irene Levin from the University
of Oslo, Simmons Professor Sophie
Freud, granddaughter of Sigmund,
and Lasell Villagers Dr. Freddy
Frankel and Dr. Margery Silver.

For further information, please contact
Dr. Mark Sciegaj at 617-663-7006 or
Dr. Tessa LeRoux at 617- 243-2104. W

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 21

Campus Update

Effects of Climate Change

Kurt Olson of Carbon Coalition
Addresses Students

Green is the Way to Co

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

I am passionate about environmental
issues because of my four-year-old son,"
says Kurt Olson, who is a professor at
the Massachusetts School of Law (MSL)
and a vohmteer with the Carbon
Coalition. "I want to say I took positive
steps when he asks me what I tried to
do when I found out that global
wanning would drastically affect the
planet — and tliat means more than
switching my light bulbs over from
incandescent to fluorescent."

As part of his job at MSL, Olson speaks
about the environment. He also hosts
cable television programs and did a
show on die Arctic Climate Impact
Assessment. He used some of his

Professor Nancy Waldron and Professor
Kurt Olson.

findings when he spoke at Lasell at the
request of Marketing Professor Nancy
Waldron and her Consumer Behavior
and Global Marketing classes. The
students brought him to campus as
part of their research on global warming
and the role played by consumers
and/or businesses.

"Our children are going to inherit a
completely different world than what we
have today," he says. "In the last three
years, 23 percent of our sea ice has
melted and, at this rate, by 2030 the
North Pole ice will completely
disappear. As the ice melts, there will be
more warming because the dark ocean
will absorb the heat from the sun."

Olson was careful to point out that
climate is different from weather. "The
trend is towards more extreme events,"
he explains. "We are seeing a
widespread change in precipitation, heat
waves and, with warmer oceans, there is
a tendency for more hurricanes to form.
Another trend is the emergence of new
diseases. There are mosquitoes now in
places they weren't before and they are
moving north.

"We need to act locally and think
globally," he warns. "This is the biggest
challenge to face mankind and if we
don't take steps we are engaging in
criminally irresponsible behavior." '^

There is a new energy on campus
around the efforts to deal with climate
change. The Green Task Force, whose
purpose is to assess the feasibility of
and to recommend concrete actions
regarding, a comprehensive Green
Campus Campaign, has been hard at
work looking at ways to minimize the
Lasell carbon footprint. This initiative
formed the impetus for a number of
related programs sponsored by the
Donahue Institute aimed at raising
awareness of this challenging issue
on campus.

On January 31, Lasell participated with
more than 1000 universities, colleges,
and schools across the country in a
campaign called Focus the Nation.
Faculty, students and staff responded to
the challenge to walk, carpool or use
public transportation. The College
joined in a national interactive webcast
and in a national vote to prioritize
solutions. Many faculty members
participated in a "teach-in," discussing
climate change in the context of their
subject matter.

On February 23, Lasell was honored to
host Lester Brown, Director of the Earth
Policy Institute in Washington, DC.
This event was co-sponsored by the
Population Connection and the
Donahue Institute. Mary Barbara
Alexander is on the Board of the

Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute
explains his plan for action to a Hamel
House audience.

Population Connection, an organization
that works closely with the Earth Policy
Institute, and it was exciting to have a
large number of visitors from all over
Massachusetts join us to hear Browrf s
views on a plan for action.

In Brown's latest book. Plan B }.o:
Mobilizing to Save Civilization, he sets
out the challenges facing the planet as
well as solutions. These include cutting
carbon emissions by 80 percent by the
year 2020, eradicating poverty, limiting
population growth, and planting many
millions of trees, e

Six Degrees of Separation

Two Board Members Discover A Shared Past

(L to RjMartha Franke, Herman Franke, Joan Hoffmeier, and Gertrude
Hoffmeier stand in front of the Massey house. In front are (L to R) Jackie
Hoffmeier and a shy Judy Hoffmeier.

I didn't know the name of the man I
was seated next to at the October Board
Dinner," recalls Overseer Jackie Hoffmeier
Lee '68, "but if I had, 1 would have
recognized it immediately!"

During individual introductions, the two
asked each other where they had grown up
and discovered that they were both from
New jersey.

"Whattown.^" asked the man.

"Hackensack," I replied, "and I saw a look
of increased interest cross his face."

"What street?" he continued.

"74 Sussex Street," I blurted out.

"That's it, that's my grandparents' house!"
he exclaimed.

"I thought he must have misunderstood
what I said, but when he told me his name
was Dwight Massey I realized there had
been no mistake because I remember his
grandmother, Mrs. Massey, very well."

Jackie's grandparents, Martha and Herman
Franke, had rented the house from the
Masseys for 40 years, finally purchasing it
in 1968. Sadly, it has now been torn down.

When Jackie returned home after the board
meeting she went through her memorabilia
and discovered her parents' wedding guest
book with Dwight's grandparents'
signatures in it as well as old photos of 74
Sussex Street which she copied and sent
off to the Masseys.

"It is truly a small world," says Jackie. "I
have such a strong recollection of Dwight's
grandmother, the house, and the people in
the neighborhood. For both of us it has
been a trip down memory lane." it

2 2 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Campus Update

Luminaries At Lasell

Democratic Congressman Barney Frank speaks to President
Michael Alexander and Mrs. Alexander before addressing
the Lasell community on the topic of the economic effects
of Iraq. "Without the war we would have much more
jlexihility in dealing with the recession and with the
current health care crisis, " he said.

Democratic Senator John Kerry visited Lasell Village
the day before the Massachusetts primary and voiced his
support for Barack Obama. Also speaking were (L to R)
Democratic Congresswoman from Pennsylvania Ally son
Schwartz, Massachusetts Democratic Congressman
William Delahunt, and Democratic Massachusetts State
Representative Kay Kahn. The two women spoke in
support of Hillary Clinton.

After the Red Sox won the series, rookie hero Jacoby Ellsbury
spoke to a cheering crowd in de Witt Hall. Members of
Student Government got to visit with him afterwards.
(L to R) Director of Student Activities and Orientation C.
Chad Argotsinger, Kristen Nobel 'lo, Maura Merullo 'jo,
Jacoby Ellsbury, Allyson Stanczyk 'lo, Christy Cerreta '08,
Andrew Civetti '10, and Amanda Miller 'og.

"Spygate" and steroids are just a few of the topics on which
Boston Globe Sports Columnist and Associate Editor Dan
Shaughnessy has written opinion pieces. He spoke about
ethics in the sports world to an engrossed Lasell audience
at the invitation of the Donahue Institute and the
Communication, Sports Management, and Athletic
Departments. (L to R) Athletic Director Kristy Walter,
Communication Department Chair Janice Barrett,
Globe Columnist Dan Shaughnessy, Sport Management
Department Chair William Nowlan, President Michael B.
Alexander, Donahue Institute Director Tessa LeRoux, and
Professor Marie Franklin.

Learning New Tricks

The Busy Life of a Lasell Graduate Certificate Student

Jo-Edith Heffron, a volunteer pet
therapist who, along with her four
diminutive PapUlion dogs, makes over
600 visits annually to local nursing
homes and assisted-living facilities.
Heffron serves as a volunteer chief
executive officer of The Pets & People
Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit
organization that coordinates pet
assisted therapy to residential health
care facilities throughout eastern
Massachusetts. She is also the treasurer
for The Community Friends for Human
Services, a volunteer organization which
provides services to geriatrics and
physically and mentally disabled clients
within the Commonwealth of MA.
Additionally, Heffron serves on the
MS PC A Board of Overseers and the
Newton Pride Committee.

Oh, and her day job is chief financial
officer at a Cambridge, MA based
computer company. "I also have two
grown chOdren, three grandchildren
and a pond full offish in my backyard,"
says the energetic Heffron with a laugh.

In the past few years, amidst all this
activity, Heffron managed to complete a
graduate certificate in elder care
administration at Lasell College.

"I wanted to broaden my horizons," she
explains. "The certificate program was
great, because I was able to do it on a
part-time basis. The classes are tailored
to fit the schedule of a working
professional or for someone who's
returning to the classroom after a long
hiatus. The certificate is also a great
option because you could easily apply it
toward a master's degree if you decided
that you wanted to continue."

For Heffron, however, "the certificate
program was perfect — it was just what
I wanted." Looking ahead, she hopes to
turn her avocation into her vocation and
enter the elder care field professionally.
"Elder care is growing so rapidly.
There's a huge need for qualified people
to manage a growing number of
facilities, and I have so much good
management experience," she notes.

Heffron reports that she also finds
working with the elderly to be fulfilling.
"I've grown so much through
volunteering. If s such a good feeling
knowing that the dogs make people's
lives just a little better."

Like the other day, when Heffron visited
a Needham nursing home, "a woman
saw me, wheeled her chair right over to
me and started talking to the dogs," she
recounts. "I had seen this woman before
on previous visits, but she had never
spoken to me. In fact, the nurses told
me that they had never heard her speak.
Yet on this particular day, she just
engaged with the dogs. 'Can I come visit
you again?' I asked her. 'Absolutely,' she
said. I have to admit, I had tears in my
eyes," Heffron says. "That's what's so
powerful about this work."

At present, Heffron is enrolled in an
innovative Volunteer Associate Chaplain
position at Hebrew Senior Life. This
non denominational program provides
palliative care and will be an ongoing

Jo-Edith Heffron, Graduate Certificate
Recipient 'oy, with two of her Papillion dogs.

facet at the facility. "This year has been
one of great learning for me and I've
found out a lot about my own psyche."

Heffron will continue with the program
for another year. «

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 23

:♦ •-^/

VXr'

Campus Update

Curator of the Nieman Foundation
for journalism at Harvard

Robert Giles Speaks on Ethical
Dilemmas Faced by the Press

The practice of journalism today is
built on such ethical conventions as
accxiracy, balance, fairness, and the
pursuit of truth. When the press falls
short, the public takes note," said
Robert Giles, airator of Harvard's
Nieman Foundation for Journalism.
He was the year's first Donahue
Institute for Values and Public Life
speaker and his topic of media ethics
melded perfectly with the Institute's
focus on the moral dimensions of
choices individuals make. His talk was
also sponsored by Lasell's Department
of Communication.

The Nieman Foundation for
Journalism was founded in 1937 to
promote and elevate the standards
of journalism and educate persons
deemed especially qualified for
journalism. Each academic year,
12 American and 12 international
journalists, who are experienced
and in mid-career, are awarded
fellowships. Mr. Giles was himself
a Nieman Fellow in 1966.

Over the course of his career, two
newspapers won Pulitzer Prizes under
his editorship. The Beacon Journal of
Akron, OH received the award in 1971
for its coverage of the shootings at
Kent State University. The Detroit News
won in 1994 for the newspaper's
disclosvires of a scandal in the
Michigan House Fiscal Agency.

Mr. Giles has a deep understanding of
the challenges facing journalism today.
As he explained, "We live in a complex
world. In reporting the news of the
day, the role of a firee and independent

press is frequently in conflict with other
values in our constitutional system of
government such as individual privacy,
the right to a fair trial, and matters of
national security."

In the 20th century an ethical standard
for journalistic practice began to
emerge. In the 1970s, Watergate
made news organizations look within
and reconsider patterns of behavior
that included anonymous sources
and plagiarism.

More recently, Web sites and blogs have
exposed instances of unethical writing.
"Episodes of plagiarism are played out
in all of their painful details," said Mr.
Giles. "Unseen bloggers take words
reporters write and Google them in the
suspicion that they may not be original.
And while these hurtful experiences
mean that journalism's dirty laundry is
being washed in public, it also means
that news organizations are tightening
their ethical practices."

Another issue Mr. Giles touched on
was, "The conflict among the press,
the government and the courts over
the use by journalists of leaks and
unnamed sources." He cited instances
where "the administration has tried to
control the press but newspapers have
made principled decisions to publish
stories the White House has tiled to
keep quiet."

Mr. Giles closed with a plea for young
journalists "to think globally and
function in a world dominated by
information, science and technology,
and the conflicts among cultures." '«

On the Sidelines at Gillette Stadium

Lasell Freshman Makes Patriot's
Cheering Squad

During a huge blizzard last Saint
Patrick's Day, Lindsey Barrows '11
and her dance teacher met in the
Winchendon, MA Wal-Mart parldng lot
and headed to Gillette Stadium for the
New England Patriots cheering squad
tryouts. "I was only going because my
teacher didn't want to try out by
herself" recalls Lindsey. "I'd never
auditioned before in my life and I had
no idea what I was in store for. I was
scared to death. It turned out that there
were 300 gorgeous girls trying out for
24 spots!

"The driving conditions were terrible
and we arrived a bit late with knots
in our stomachs. Fortunately the
Patiiots had extended the tryouts
because of the storm, but even so we
got there just in time for the group
stietch and we were the last to try out
in front of the judges' panel."

The day was long and grueling. For 12
hours Lindsey had to learn new routines
and go through two cuts, which
winnowed the group down to 75. Each
of the remaining contestants then had a
one-on-one session with the cheering
coach. "I've never had an interview
before," Lindsey says. "She put me at
my ease but it seemed surreal."

Then it was on to the day's finals. "This
was the worst part," she exclaims. "We
had to model in a bathing suit and high
heels and I have never been in a
pageant. After that we performed two at
a time. High kicks, splits, I was doing
them all."

At the end of the day, the judges
narrowed the field down to 30 and each
finalist was presented with a rose. "I
couldn't believe that I had made it,"
enthuses Lindsey. "I was totally shocked
and I couldn't wait to tell my friends,
'You guys aren't going to believe what
just happened!'"

For the next two weeks the 30 finalists
had to practice at Gillette Stadium. The
coach was watching to see how they
picked up material and how they
worked as a team. At the last practice
the final cut was made and Lindsey
discovered that she was on the team.

"I had never left my town before and
suddenly everything had changed,"
Lindsey says. She arrived at Lasell in
September with a lot on her plate, but

Patriots cheerleader and Lasell student
Lindsey Barrows '11.

she seems very able to manage cheering
for the Patriots with her class work.
She is a Communication major and
is thinking of journalism or broadcast
journalism as a career.

The whirlwind of the Patiiots' 18-0
season landed Lindsey in Arizona at
the Super Bowl. "I was there for five
days and something incredible
happened on each of them. For
instance, another cheerleader and I
were chosen to do a photo shoot for
Maxim Online and then we were invited
to their big party where I found myself
walking down a red carpet.

"At the game we were really pumped
and because we didn't think we were
going to lose until the final minutes it
made it doubly hard. But, I have to keep
reminding myself that it was an
incredible season. I never in a million
years thought that I'd be a Patriots
cheerleader and what a year to start
with the team." ¥

(L to R) Layout Editor of The 1851 Chronicle Camille Gillman '08, Communication
Department Chair Janice Barrett, Donahue Institute Director Tessa LeRoux, Robert Giles,
and President Michael Alexander.

Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Campus Update

Report on Strategic Plan

"So," they would say, "What's your
vision for the College?"

Michael enjoyed seeing the surprise in
the faces of his questioners when he
consistently and resolutely responded
that he didn't have one — yet!

"It can't be my vision," he would
explain. "It must be the vision of the
whole Lasell Community."

In mid-September, two months into his
presidency, Michael Alexander began
the process of doing just that. In a
series of town meetings representing
each constituency of the College, and an
intensive three-day strategic planning
session boasting the participation of key
representatives from each of those
constituencies — the new president of
Lasell facilitated the first round of a
strategic planning process that has
defined the College's vision of what it
will be and what it will look like five
years hence, in 2012.

Where

The Classroom
Is The
Real World

• Student focus

• Innovative education across
the lifespan

• Integrity, honesty and ethical
decision making

• Social responsibility

The picture that emerged of Lasell
College in five years included:

• 1,600 undergraduate students and
300 graduate students, with
two-thirds of all courses taught by
full-time, permanent faculty.

• Increased diversity on campus
including a doubling of
international students, a 6 percent
increase in minority students, a

5 percent increase in male students
and a substantial increase in
minorities among the faculty, staff,
and Board of Trustees.

• An increase in the retention of first
year students to at least 75 percent.

• A growth in the endowment of
almost double to at least $40 million
and Annual Fund giving of

$1 million or more.

• Four new master's degree
programs, four service learning
abroad programs and three new
athletic programs.

• Significantly expanded hours of
critical student services, including
health and counseling services.

• More physical space for a growing
student body and faculty as well as
the additional staff to support the
increased size and activity level.

Additionally, the strategic plan
anticipates:

• Building three additional residence
halls in the next five years — the
College has already begun design
and approval work on two residential
halls, which will be located on
Woodland Road.

• The need to build or renovate space
for offices and classrooms and
expand the athletic facilities.

*• The Lasell vision is glued together
by the application of a consistent
educational philosophy, applied
across all academic programs,"
says President Alexander. "Our
connected learning approach to
teaching brings the real world
right into the classroom, where
students work closely with faculty
in a problem-based and project-
based approach, where students
get to practice the work of the
academic subject matter,
preparing them for the day when
they must compete for jobs, adapt
to an ever-changing economy,
encounter diverse peoples and
cultures and grapple with
ethical questions, ff

— President Alexander

For a closeup look at the strategic plan in detail, please go to
www.lasell.edu/images/userlmages/fweil/Page_715/Strategic%20Plan_f1nal.pdf

Lasell to Host First International Conference May 19-23

Aging: Families and Households in Global Perspective

I he RoseMary B. Fuss Center for
Research on Aging and International
Studies and the Donahue Institute
for Values and Public Life are hosting
the annual conference for the
Committee on Family Research
(CFR) of the International
Sociological Association from May
19-23. The conference is titled
"Aging: Families and Households in
Global Perspective."

"We are excited to have a
distinguished group of scholars
coming from around the world to the
Lasell campus," says Center Director

am thrilled that we are able to put Lasell
on the international academic map by
having this distinguished group of
researchers on our campus," she says.

Conference highlights include:

• May 19: Talk and exhibit of
photographs of supercentenarians
by Jerry Friedman, Chairman,
Earth's Elders Foundation, Inc.

• May 20: Plenary keynote address by
Merril Silverstein, Ph.D., Professor
of Gerontology and Sociology, Family

and Intergerierational Relations at
the University of South California
Davis School of Gerontology.

For further information, please contact
Dr. Mark Sciegaj at 617-663-7006 or
Dr. Tessa LeRoux at 617- 243-2104. '«

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 2 1

Campus Update

Effects of climate Change

Kurt Olson of Carbon Coalition
Addresses Students

Green is the Way to Co

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

I am passionate about environmental
issues because of my four-year-old son,"
says Kurt Olson, who is a professor at
the Massachusetts School of Law (MSL)
and a volunteer with the Carbon
Coalition. "I want to say I took positive
steps when he asks me what 1 tried to
do when I found out tliat global
warming would drastically affect the
planet — and tliat means more than
switching my light bulbs over from
incandescent to fluorescent."

As part of his job at MSL, Olson speaks
about the environment. He also hosts
cable television programs and did a
show on the Arctic Climate Impact
Assessment. He used some of his

Professor Nancy Waldron and Professor
Kurt Olson.

"We need to act locally and think
globally," he warns. "This is the biggest
challenge to face mankind and if we
don't take steps we are engaging in
criminally irresponsible behavior." 'i^

■ here is a new energy on campus
around the efforts to deal with climate
change. The Green Task Force, whose
purpose is to assess the feasibility of,
and to recommend concrete actions
regarding, a comprehensive Green
Campus Campaign, has been hard at
work looking at ways to minimize the
Lasell carbon footprint. This initiative
formed the impetus for a number of
related programs sponsored by the
Donahue Institute aimed at raising
. awareness of this challenging issue
on campus.

Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute
explains his plan for action to a Hamel
House audience.

In Brown's latest book. Plan B j.o;
Mobilizing to Save Civilization, he sets
out the challenges facing the planet as
well as solutions. These include cutting
carbon emissions by 80 percent by the
year 2020, eradicating poverty, limiting
population growth, and planting many
millions of trees. «

Six Degrees of Separation

Two Board Members Discover A Shared Past

(L to R)Martha Franke, Herman Franke, Joan Hoffmeier, and Gertrude
Hoffmeier stand in front of the Massey house. In front are (L to R) Jackie
Hoffmeier and a shy Judy Hoffmeier.

I didn't know the name of the man I
was seated next to at the October Board
Dinner," recalls Overseer Jackie Hoffmeier
Lee '68, "but if I had, 1 would have
recognized it immediately!"

During individual introductions, the two
asked each other where they had grown up
and discovered that they were both from
New Jersey.

"What town?" asked the man.

"Hackensack," I replied, "and I saw a look
of increased interest cross his face."

"What street?" he continued.

"74 Sussex Street," I blurted out.

"That's it, that's my grandparents' house!"
he exclaimed.

"I thought he must have misunderstood
what I said, but when he told me his name
was Dwight Massey I realized there had
been no mistake because I remember his
grandmother, Mrs. Massey, very well."

Jackie's grandparents, Martha and Herman
Franke, had rented the house from the
Masseys for 40 years, finally purchasing it
in 1968. Sadly, it has now been torn down.

22 Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Campus Update

Luminaries At Lasell

Democratic Congressman Barney Frank speaks to President
Michael Alexander and Mrs. Alexander before addressing
the Lasell community on the topic of the economic effects
of Iraq. "Without the war we would have much more
flexibility in dealing with the recession and with the
current health care crisis, " he said.

Democratic Senator John Kerry visited Lasell Village
the day before the Massachusetts primary and voiced his
support for Barack Obama. Also speaking were (L to R)
Democratic Congresswoman from Pennsylvania Allyson
Schwartz, Massachusetts Democratic Congressman
William Delahunt, and Democratic Massachusetts State
Representative Kay Kahn. The two women spoke in
support of Hillary Clinton.

After the Red Sox won the series, rookie hero Jacoby Ellsbury
spoke to a cheering crowd in de Witt Hall. Members of
Student Government got to visit with him afterwards.
(L to R) Director of Student Activities and Orientation C.
Chad Argotsinger, Kristen Nobel 'lo, Maura Merullo 'lo,
Jacoby Ellsbury, Allyson Stanczyk 'lo, Christy Cerreta '08,
Andrew Civetti '10, and Amanda Miller 'og.

Learning New Tricks

The Busy Life of a Lasell Graduate Certificate Student

lo-Edith Heffron, a volunteer pet
therapist who, along with her four
diminutive Papillion dogs, makes over
600 visits annually to local nursing
homes and assisted-living facilities.
Heffron serves as a volimteer chief
executive officer of The Pets & People
Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit
organization that coordinates pet
assisted therapy to residential health
care facilities throughout eastern
Massachusetts. She is also the treasurer
for The Community Friends for Human
Services, a volunteer organization which
provides services to geriatrics and
physically and mentally disabled clients
within the Commonwealth of MA.
Additionally, Heffron serves on the
MSPCA Board of Overseers and the
Newton Pride Committee.

Oh, and her day job is chief financial
officer at a Cambridge, MA based
computer company. "I also have two
grown children, three grandchildren
and a pond fiill offish in my backyard,"
says the energetic Heffron with a laugh.

In the past few years, amidst all this
activity, Heffron managed to complete a
graduate certificate in elder care
administration at Lasell College.

Heffron reports that she also finds
working with the elderly to be fulfilling.
"I've grown so much through
volunteering. It's such a good feeling
knowing that the dogs make people's
lives just a little better."

Like the other day, when Heffron visited
a Needham nursing home, "a woman
saw me, wheeled her chair right over to
me and started talking to the dogs," she
recounts. "I had seen this woman before
on previous visits, but she had never
spoken to me. In fact, the nurses told
me that they had never heard her speak.
Yet on this particular day, she just
engaged with the dogs. 'Can I come visit
you again.'' I asked her. 'Absolutely,' she
said. I have to admit, I had tears in my
eyes," Heffron says. "That's what's so
powerfiil about this work."

At present, Heffron is enrolled in an
innovative Volunteer Associate Chaplain
position at Hebrew Senior Life. This
non denominational program provides
palliative care and will be an ongoing

^^^^^^m:'''^

•**

^^^■jlv^^

a^^

^^ ^^

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■J--MI, 1 -1

til

Jo-Edith Heffron, Graduate Certificate
Recipient 'oj, with two of her Papillion dogs.

facet at the facility. "This year has been
one of great learning for me and I've
found out a lot about my own psyche."

Heffron will continue with the program
for another year. «

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 2 3

isi^sm

Campus Update

Curator of the Nieman Foundation
for Journalism at Harvard

Robert Giles Speaks on Ethical
Dilemmas Faced by the Press

The practice of journalism today is
built on such ethical conventions as
accuracy, balance, fairness, and the
pursuit of truth. When the press falls
short, tlie public takes note," said
Robert Giles, curator of Harvard's
Nieman Foundation for Journalism.
He was tlae year's first Donahue
Institute for Values and Public Life
speaker and his topic of media ethics
melded perfectly with the Institute's
focus on the moral dimensions of
choices individuals make. His talk was
also sponsored by Lasell's Department
of Communication.

The Nieman Foundation for
JoiuTialism was founded in 1937 to
promote and elevate the standards
of journalism and educate persons
deemed especially qualified for
journalism. Each academic year,
12 American and 12 international
joiimalists, who are experienced
and in mid-career, are awarded
fellowships. Mr. Giles was himself
a Nieman Fellow in 1966.

Over the course of his career, two
newspapers won Pulitzer Prizes under
his editorship. The Beacon Journal of
Akron, OH received the award in 1971
for its coverage of the shootings at
Kent State University. The Detroit News
won in 1994 for the newspaper's
disclosures of a scandal in the
Michigan House Fiscal Agency.

Mr. Giles has a deep understanding of
the challenges facing journalism today.
As he explained, "We live in a complex
world. In reporting the news of the
day, the role of a free and independent

press is frequently in conflict with other
values in our constitutional system of
government such as individual privacy,
the right to a fair trial, and matters of
national security."

Mr. Giles closed with a plea for young
journalists "to think globally and
function in a world dominated by
information, science and technology,
and the conflicts among cultures." W

On the Sidelines at Gillette Stadium

Lasell Freshman Makes Patriot's
Cheering Squad

During a huge blizzard last Saint
Patrick's Day, Lindsey Barrows '11
and her dance teacher met in the
Winchendon, MA Wal-Mart parking lot
and headed to Gillette Stadium for the
New England Patriots cheering squad
tryouts. "I was only going because my
teacher didn't want to try out by
herself," recalls Lindsey. "I'd never
auditioned before in my life and I had
no idea what I was in store for. I was
scared to death. It turned out that there
were 300 gorgeous girls trying out for
24 spots!

"The driving conditions were terrible
and we arrived a bit late with knots
in our stomachs. Fortunately the
Patriots had extended the tryouts
because of the storm, but even so we
got there just in time for the group
stretch and we were the last to try out
in front of the judges' panel."

"I had never left my town before and
suddenly everything had changed,"
Lindsey says. She arrived at Lasell in
September with a lot on her plate, but

Patriots cheerleader and Lasell student
Lindsey Barrows '11.

she seems very able to manage cheering
for the Patriots with her class work.
She is a Communication major and
is thinking of journalism or broadcast
journalism as a career.

The whirlwind of the Patriots' 18-0
season landed Lindsey in Arizona at
the Super Bowl. "I was there for five
days and something incredible
happened on each of them. For
instance, another cheerleader and I
were chosen to do a photo shoot for
Maxim Online and then we were invited
to their big party where I found myself
walking down a red carpet.

(L to R) Layout Editor of The i8p Chronicle Camille Gillman '08, Communication
Department Chair Janice Barrett, Donahue Institute Director Tessa LeRoux, Robert Giles,
and President Michael Alexander

2A Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Annual Fund

Message from Michelle Walmsley:

Director of Annual Giving

Annual Fund Office

1844 Commonwealth Ave.
Newton, MA 02466-2716
(617) 243-2165
Fax: (617) 243-2383

mwalmsley@laself.edu

M ave you made a gift to the Annual
Fund yet this year?

We are just a few months away from the
end of the fiscal year, and EVERY gift
counts. One way to double or triple your
gift, as many donors have in the past, is
by means of a matching gift from your
(or your spouse's) employer. Many
companies will match gifts from their
retirees as well.

To learn if your company participates in
a matching gift program, you can
contact your company's Human
Resources/Benefits Office or visit this
Web site to see if your company
participates in a matching gift program:
www.matchinggifts.com/demo.cfm.

Most company's paper work for this
gift is obtainable from the Human
Resources/Benefits Office. You fill out
your name, address, and amount of
your gift and send Lasell the paperwork
— We take care of the rest!

$50 could be $100

$250 could be $500

$500 could be $1,000

Thank you for your continued support
of the Annual Fund!

Michelle Walmsley 1

Director of Annual Giving

Family, Friends

^ & Alumni Weekend
Save the Date!
- October 1 8, 2008

mtchliA/^ ucp with fne\/uis>,
food, avuA varsity Qa\M.es>

.'- _r. .1 r

i225, :ioo^, oiv^d ^oo2\

ormorei

Designed hy Kayla McKenna 'og

If you are interested In supporting the Annual Fund,

go to www.lasellalumni.org/annualfund

or e-mail us at alumni@lasell.edu.

Recent
Graduate
Supports
Lasell

David C. Mclnnis '03

"Launching
the student
newspaper
1857 was
the best
experience I
had during
my years at
the College.
It was a
David C. Mclnnis '03 challenge that

taught me how to get things done
in a community and it prepared
me for managing on
a larger scale after graduation.

"I was a Business Administration
major and started my career at a
small consulting company outside
of Boston. I moved to New York to
work for Adecco in support of
JPMorgan IB Technology groups
and I am now at Wachovia
Corporation as an Assistant Vice
President within Human Capital
Management supporting Corporate
&, Investment Banking Technology.

I return to Lasell every year for the
Alumni Athletic Games that are
held in October on Family and
Friends Weekend. Being on the
Lasers' lacrosse and soccer teams
was an integral part of my Lasell
experience and this is my chance
to reconnect.

"My donations to the Annual
Fund are specific to the athletic
teams and the student-run
newspaper and I encourage other
alumni to give. When you support
the College the gift gives back to
you personally."

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 2 Q

ms^si

Major Gifts and Planned Giving

Help Yourself Today and a Student Tomorrow with a Lasell Gift Annuity

Lasell Gift Annuity Benefits:

Katharine Urner-Jones '83

Special Assistant to the
President for Leadership
Development

Receive attractive, secure, fixed payments for life
Earn a significant up-front charitable tax deduction
Help future generations of students benefit from a

Lasell education

For information without ohligation please contact:

Katharine Urner-Jones '83

Lasell College

Office of Institutional Advancement

1844 Commonwealth Avenue

Newton, MA 02466-2716

(617) 243-2223

Fax (617) 243-2383

kumerjones@lasell.edu

All inquires are kept strictly confidential.

CURRENT Gin ANNUITY RATES

One-life

Two- Life

Age

Rate

Age

Rate

6.0%

65/65

5.6%

6.5%

70/70

55.9%

7.1%

75/75

5.9%

8.0%

80/80

6.9%

9.5%

85/85

7.9%

n.3%

90/90

9-3%

Minimum gift annuity amount is $10,000. Rates subject to cinange 1
based on gift timing. Casin or appreciated securities may fund your
gift annuity.

Fall Recognition Dinner

Lasell Celebrates Its
Leadership Donors

Since Lasell College welcomed Michael
B. Alexander, its ninth president in July,
and because we were headed towards an
election year, and since the Red Sox
won the World Championship, it
seemed fitting that the theme of the
annual donor recognition dinner was
"Celebrating LaseU Leadership."

Almost 100 donors gathered in de Witt
Hall on Sunday, November 4, 2007 for
a red, white and blue celebration.
Guests listened to remarks from various
leaders at Lasell: Amanda Miller '09,
President of the Student Government
Association, and Marian Salama '08, a
member of the Senior Class
Committee, represented student
leadership and talked about how gifts to
the College have impacted and enriched
their Lasell experience. President of
LaseU Alumni, Inc., Urit Chaimovitz
'98 spoke of how this event increases
awareness among students and alumni
about what every gift can do. Michael B.
Alexander represented the College's
new leadership and talked briefly about
"Vision 2012," Lasell's newly crafted
strategic plan. Chairman of the Board
Erik J. Stapper thanked all of our
leadership donors for their valuable
support to current and future
generations of Lasell students.
President Alexander announced that in
only the fourth month of this fund year.

{L to R) Trustees RoseMary B. Fuss, Erik
J. Stapper, and Nancy Curtis Grellier '^g.

we had 100% participation from the
Board of Trustees for the Annual Fund
— another example of strong
institutional leadership.

Guests were also treated to a
performance by the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.,
Inc, barbershop quartet known as
Imagination. Before dinner was served
there were many empty seats around
the room. Who could have predicted
when the date was chosen for the
dinner that the Patriots would be
playing the only other undefeated team
in the NFL! The Patriots were winners
as were all who enjoyed an evening of
appreciation and recognition for those
who make Lasell their philanthropic
priority each and every year. *'

Institutional Advancement Adds
Prospect Research Associate/Grant
Writer to Staff

Joanna L. McCarthy has joined the
staff of Lasell College's Office of
Institutional Advancement in the
new position of Prospect Research
Associate/Grant Writer

Joanna comes to Lasell with strong
experience in fundraising research
and analysis. Most recently, she has
been Senior Fundraising Researcher
at Brandeis University, where her
responsibilities have included
fundraising research, prospecting,
and solicitation advising.

Prior to her role at Brandeis, Joanne
served as Manager of Development
Research for Bentiey College and
before that she was Assistant Director,
Corporate, Foundation and Government
Relations for Babson College.

Joanne is a candidate for a Master's
in Business Administration degree at
Babson College with a concentration
in entiepreneurship. She holds an
Associate's degree in Early Childhood
Education from Quincy College, in
Quincy, MA and she earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Business Management
from Curry College in Milton, MA.

Joanna McCarthy.

"We are delighted to welcome
Joanna to our team of advancement
professionals," said Institutional
Advancement Dean Ruth Shuman.
"It's no secret that costs for education
are escalating precipitously. We need
to strengthen and develop new funding
areas to support our commitment to
provide the best possible academic
experience for all of our students.

"Joanna will contribute in essential
ways to expanding the scope and
breath of our solicitations to currently
untapped funding sources in the
corporate and foundation arenas." %'

Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

Sports News

Message from the Athletic Director

Lasers Fare Well in CNAC and Lasell Looks to Expand Sports Offerings

7S«K^'

Office of Athletics

1844 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02466-2716
(617) 243-2147
fax (617) 243-2037

kwalter@ lasell.edu

■ his year was the first year of
competition for the Lasers in the Great
Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).
The fall teams fared well and were very
competitive during this inaugural season.
Both the men's soccer team and the
women's volleyball team reached the
semi-finals of their respected
tournaments and the women's soccer
team reached the quarterfinals. Also, both
the men's and women's cross country
teams placed fifth at the GNAC
Championship meet. Lasell also saw four
student-athletes named to the First Team
All-Conference Teams as well as first year
Head Coach Vito LaFrancesca being
named GNAC Coach of the Year for
women's soccer. Fourteen institutions are
members of the GNAC, so qualifying for
the tournament in the first year is a great
accomplishment and proves that the
Lasers are competitive.

In the winter, the men's basketball
team upset the number one seed,
Emerson College, and captured the
GNAC Championship. As the
conference champions, the men
advanced to the NCAA Tournament and
faced a strong Brandeis team in the first
round. The men played a tough first
half, but eventually fell to the number
six ranked Brandeis. Softball and
women's lacrosse will compete in the
GNAC for the first time this spring.
Baseball will compete as a club team
this year and will join the GNAC in
the spring of 2009.

In addition to joining a new conference,
plans are currently underway to
introduce some new teams to the
athletic program. As an extension of
the cross country programs, men's and
women's indoor and outdoor track and

field are going to be offered as club
teams for the 2008-09 academic year
with the anticipation of moving them
to varsity status in 2009-10. The teams
will plan to compete in five to eight
indoor and outdoor meets and will
carry rosters of 10-15 student-athletes.
Looking ahead, the College will explore
the possibility of adding tennis and golf
to its offerings. There is interest from
current students on campus and each
of these sports is sponsored by the
GNAC. The addition of varsity teams is
also a part of the overall stiategic plan
of the institution.

Kristy Walter
Athletic Director

Men's Soccer

Overall Record: 10-8
Pilgrim League Record: 9-3

This was the first year of competition
for the Lasers in the Great Northeast
Athletic Conference (GNAC). The team
finished third in conference play and
advanced to the semi-finals, where they
fell to Johnson and Wales.

Forward Zach Gagne '09 was named to
the GNAC All-Conference First Team
after posting 13 goals and two assists for
the season and midfielder Brian Whelan
'08 earned a spot on the GNAC Second
Team, scoring three goals and a team-
high seven assists this fall.

Goalkeeper Julian Dutton '10 finished
the year with 115 saves, giving him a

Shane Vinnicombe '10 zeros in on the ball.

spot on the GNAC All-Tournament team
and, in October, he was named GNAC
Goalie of the Week. Rookie defender
Brandon Hanss was also name to the
GNAC All-Tournament team. »»'

Women's Soccer

Overall Record: 11-8
NEWLA Record: 8-6

In his inaugural season at the helm of
the women's soccer team, Head Coach
Vito LaFrancesca was named the GNAC
coach of the year. This honor is voted on
by all GNAC coaches.

The women scored 42 goals during the
season and earned a spot in the
quarterfinals of the GNAC quarterfinals,
where they lost by a goal to Norwich
University in a hard fought match.

The Lasers will have their top three
scorers returning next year: Allyson
Bushey '11 netted a team high eight
goals, Ashley Lambert '10 scored six and
had four assists, and Jess Wainwright '11

Women's Volleyball

Overall Record: 14-17
Conference Record: n-3

It was a good year for the Lasers which
culminated in the GNAC post season.
The quarter-final match against Norwich
University was very hard fought and
wasrit decided until the fifth game. The
team then advanced to the semi-finals,
where they lost to the number one seed,
Johnson and Wales.

The offense for the season was led by
Kelsey Schmidt '09 who finished with
272 kills, followed by middle hitter
Nicole Wetterman '09, who had 192
kills. Senior setter Katelyn Rasich set a

Kelsey Schmidt 'og reaches high.

new record for career assists with 3,595.
She was named to the GNAC All-
Conference Third Team. W

Men's Volleyball

Overall Record: 13-18
Conference Record: 4-7

The Lasers did well in their first season
in the GNAC, picking up their twelfth
win in a hard fought four game match
against Johnson and Wales University.

Sophomore Dustin Foster lead the team
in kills with 2.51 per game followed by
sophomore Andy Cass '10 with 2.38.
Defensively Joseph Lipski '09 averaged
2.95 digs per game while setter Gary
Gay '09 averaged 9.27.

The Lasers competed in the GNAC
Championship Tournament and placed

Christina DeLuca '08 in fast motion.

scored five goals and had three assists.
Also returning will be Kaitlyn Fields '11
who was named women's soccer rookie
of the week in September. «'

Serge Melnik '10 takes aim.

fourth. With no seniors on the team they
are looking forwarded to next season. W

Spring 2008

Lasell Leaves 3 1

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991720 VIM 'uovwaN
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SUPPORTING

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Sports News

Men's Basketball

Women's Basketball

Overall Record: 20-9
Conference Record: 14-4

The Lasers had a great season which
ailminated in winning the GNAC
Conference in the team's first year of
playing in the league and went on to the
first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"Winning the GNAC Conference was
a great accomplishment." says Head
Coach Aaron Galletta. "Our players
stayed focused and together throughout
the year."

Jamie Crawford '08 and Dwayne
Powell '08 both reached milestones in
their senior year. Crawford reached the
1,500 point mark and Powell broke the
career assists record. Both players were

The GNAC Champions!

selected to the GNAC All-Tournament
Team. Jose Guitan '09 had a standout
season, scoring his 1,000th point and was
named the GNAC Tournament MVP. «

Overall Record: 8-17
Conference Record: 5-8

The women's basketball team won four
out of their five last games in the
regular season. New Head Coach Kelly
Stubbs said, "I am pleased with our
strong finished and how our team
improved throughout the season.
We are a young team and gained
valuable experience."

Senior guard Christina DeLuca finished
her career with 672 points, 87
rebounds, and 386 rebounds. Lauren
Picozzi '08 ended her career with 505
points and 398 rebounds while Shauna
Kelly' 09 led the team in three categories
including scoring, assists, and steals.

Carla Zinno '11 on defense.

Rookie guard Carla Zinno had a strong
freshman year. 'W

Field Hockey

Overall Record: 8-11
Conference Record: 5-5

The Lasers had a good year, making it
to the semi-finals of the North Atlantic
Conference (NAC) after defeating
Simmons College 4-1 in the quarterfinal
match. They fell to the number one
seed, University of Maine at Farmington
in the semi-finals.

Tia Pratt' 11 was named the NAC Rookie
of the Year after posting a total of four
goals and six assists. She was also
named to the All-NAC Second Team as
were her teammates Caitlyn Walker '10
and Rachael Johnson '08. Walker led
the team in scoring this season with 11
goals and four assists. Johnson was co-
captain with Katie Bryer '08 who also
had a great year, scoring seven goals and

two assists which earned her a spot on
the NAC Honorable Mention Team.

Senior goalkeeper Laura Gallagher had
an outstanding season, finishing with a
1.56 GAA, 106 saves, and setting a new
record for minutes played in a season
(1,164) ^^^ ^o fo^'^ overtime matches. W

Stephanie Jansen 'og prepares to pass.

Cross Country

Overall Record: 8-11
Conference Record: 5-5

It was a very good year for both
the men's and women's cross
country teams. The women had
four top ten finishes as a team
and had strong numbers all season,
finishing fifth overall in the
GNAC Championship meet.

Chantal Cyr '11 was named Women's
GNAC Rookie of the Week in October
when she finished eighth overall out of
87 runners in the Emmanuel
Invitational. Kayla McKenna '09
finished seventh in the GNAC
Championship meet, earning her a spot
on the GNAC All-Conference team. She
also ran a personal best at the NCAA
regional meet where she finished with
24:47 in the 6K race. The women
finished fifth overall in the GNAC
Championship meet.

The men also finished fifth in the
GNAC Championship in a very close
match with just eight points separating
teams three through five. Seventy-four

Andrew Gundlach '08.

runners competed, with Lasell having
three in the top 20.

Chris Johnson '09 was named the
GNAC Runner of the Week in
September after placing first in the
New England College Pilgrim Pride

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Number ^j^ Stephanie Hauck '10 and
number ^ij Michelle Acosta 'og.

Invitational. The team will lose two
seniors, Andrew Gundlach and Kevin
Lawson, both of whom have been
major contributors throughout their
four year careers. ♦•

Spring 2008

Lasell l£AVES is distributed twice
a year, free of charge to alumni,
students, and friends of Lasell.

The publication is produced by

The Office of Institutional Advancement

1844 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02466-2716

Dean for Institutional Advancement

Ruth S. Shuman

Managing Editor

Fran Weil

Editor

Phyllis Taylor

Photography

David Carlson
Phyllis Taylor
Stewart Woodward

Director of Support Services

Jeanne A. [ohnsen '72

Design

Kenneally Creative

Printing

Kirkwood Printing Company

Lasell Leaves

Spring 2008

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